June 10, 2009

The US Grains Council sponsored two teams of pork producers from China and Taiwan to travel to the US recently to attend the World Pork Expo in Des Moines, Iowa, as well as attending educational courses and touring US hog farms.

Bill Northey, Iowa's Secretary of Agriculture, said it was a good meeting with Chinese and Taiwanese pork producers who are interested in a wide variety of Iowa products, ranging from equipment to genetics. He added that the representatives from the two countries are looking forward to establishing relationships with Iowa and learning from the expertise of the state's pork producers.

China and Taiwan's swine operations have been constrained by low production efficiency, which hamper their ability to expand to higher levels of commercial scale hog production. This US trip will allow these swine managers and veterinarians to obtain a better understanding of successful US hog production practices as well as disease control management.

Roger Zylstra, Iowa Corn Growers Association board member, who also attended the meeting, said US farmers are interested in China and Taiwan's increasingly efficient hog production which will lead to greater demand for feed grains and co-products. He noted that through the building of relationships, the two Asian countries will see that US farmers are a reliable and sustainable supplier of feed, food and fibre.