CommunicationsSeedstock EDGE | “For the Record” | “The Pinnacle” | |
| Seedstock EDGE Seedstock EDGE main | Seedstock EDGE archives Advertising rates/deadlines | Mail dates Subscribe today! | Seedstock EDGE staff |
Headlines can be depressing
by Darrell Anderson
Listed below are only a few of the headlines that crossed my desk by e-mail just today:
“Warning: More Hogs Will Mean More Losses”
“Slaughter Continues to Run Above Expectations”
“Moratorium on Pork Production Will Remain”
“Check-off Dealt Big Defeat in Court”
“USDA Cost Estimates Show that MCOOL for Meat will Cost Billions”
“Consumers Not Convinced that Farmers Produce Safe, Healthy Food”
“Leaner Pigs the Reason for Weak Pork Sales?”
“Pork Disease Causes Leathery, Watery Texture”
It’s enough to make a guy want to go home and start the week over! As I wrote last month, these are “interesting times” in our industry, and it certainly requires some staying power to overcome the daily challenges facing us.
I just returned home from a two-day long-range planning session with some of our friends in the pedigreed cattle industry. During one discussion, a breeder bemoaned the fact that the April futures market for live cattle was only $82.
With a fairly sarcastic tone, I said that was indeed unfortunate, because that meant the cattle market would only be twice the price of hogs, instead of the current three-fold difference. I said they would have to go to someone else if they were searching for a sympathetic ear.
These changes in our industry, while not very positive, are real, and they’re receiving a great deal of attention by folks not directly involved in the production side of our industry.
You’re all very much aware of the environmental concerns receiving national attention and the constitutionality issues associated with the possible defeat of our check-off program.
What may not be quite as apparent is the national attention being given to our current pork-quality issues.
Of the headlines above, the last two
are the most concerning to me, as they have received national attention in the The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. When these “high-profile,” non-agricultural publications begin to report on pork-quality problems facing our industry, it’s time to become alarmed.
Yet, you as a commercial producer are bombarded with corporate genetic-company advertising, claiming the most “superior genetics” available in the industry today. They are investing millions in high-tech research to develop these ultra-productive lines.
These lines are assigned secret code numbers that keep you constantly confused. And, of course, they introduce new lines that force you to “upgrade” to the latest and greatest solutions.
At the risk of sounding satirical, these recent ads have actually caused me to chuckle! One referred to another “milestone” in their genetic superiority, and introduced their “new line-up.”
Amazingly, the three photos featured were a Duroc, Hampshire and Yorkshire boar. What an earth-shaking discovery!
They promoted these “new” lines as increasing your profitability through better pork quality (Duroc), high lean percentage (Hampshire), and growth and productivity (Yorkshire).
Isn’t it interesting that NSR members have been selecting for those specific traits for over 100 years, and we have more public documentation of our results than all of our corporate competition combined?
Another competitor recently sent out a news release touting their ability to combine recorded data from several nucleus herds, making this available on the Internet.
Ironically, the NSR members you will find in this magazine have been combining their ancestral and performance records into one gigantic database for nearly two decades.
You can also log onto our Web site, www.nationalswine.com, and find the latest EPD information on the top genetic lines in each of our four breeds.
The fact of the matter is, we do have huge issues facing our industry. The good news is, NSR has a great group of independent, yet interdependent, breeders that work hard to meet your needs.
Our advertising budget may be smaller than that of some of our competition. But, rest assured, our passion for the betterment of our industry and the inherent predictability of our genetic base could never be challenged.
Our insightful leadership and industry awareness is evident in the new muscle-quality EPDs that will soon be available for our four breeds.
We believe there is a real pork-quality problem in this country. We also believe that it is our responsibility to help solve that problem.
Don’t be intimidated by the headlines – there will be a brighter day ahead. Let us help you achieve your goals.
Please be sure to contact the breeders who have advertised in this special 2004 Commercial EDGE Reference Issue. You’ll be glad that you did!
