April 19, 2023

New members appointed to US' National Pork Board

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the appointment of five members to the National Pork Board.

All five appointees will serve three-year terms beginning June 2023 and ending June 2026.

The appointed members are Al Wulfekuhle, Dr. Gordon Spronk, Morgan Wonderly, Santiago Vazquez and Stewart Leeth.

A 15-member Board of Directors oversees NPB and Pork Checkoff funds. Each year, Pork Act Delegates, appointed by the US Secretary of Agriculture, have the responsibility to elect members to the board, set the Pork Checkoff assessment rate and establish the return-to-state rate which provides funding to the designated State Pork Associations.

The National Pork Board has responsibility for Pork Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public.

The Pork Checkoff funds national and state programmes in consumer education and marketing, retail and foodservice marketing, export market promotion, production improvement, science and technology, swine health, pork safety and environmental management and sustainability.

Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest US$0.35 for each US$100 value of hogs sold. Importers of pork products contribute a similar amount, based on a formula.

- Swineweb