MFBF Identifies Needs Of Livestock Producers For Slaughter, Meat Processing

Jul 27, 2021

By Katelyn Parsons

The Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation (MFBF) is pleased to release the results from its’ survey to assess the needs of livestock producers for slaughter and meat processing. To view a PDF copy of the results, please click here.

The results are from 144 livestock producers, 89 of whom finished the entire survey. While the organization wished more producers had completed the survey, due to time constraints and summer being busy season, it is pleased with the responses to this survey.

“One of the key takeaways from the survey was that our producers have difficulty getting appointments at their local slaughterhouses due to such high demand,” said MFBF President Mark Amato. “Producers need facilities that are near their farms and that can schedule timely appointments. Survey comments even discussed the need to schedule appointments before livestock is born and the difficulties that creates.”

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Video: Validating Net Energy in Commercial Swine Systems - Gustavo Lima

In this episode of The Swine Nutrition Blackbelt Podcast, Gustavo Lima, PhD candidate at Iowa State University, explains how soybean meal net energy is evaluated using growth assays and calorimetry. He discusses caloric efficiency, validation under commercial conditions, and differences between controlled and real-world environments. Gustavo also highlights practical implications for diet formulation and ingredient valuation. Listen now on all major platforms!

“Indirect calorimetry provides a precise estimation of ingredient energy, yet validation under production conditions remains essential for accurate application in real systems.”

Meet the guest: Gustavo Lima / gustavo-lima-a9867127 is a PhD candidate in Animal Science at Iowa State University, specializing in swine nutrition, ingredient evaluation, and energy metabolism. With over 15 years of experience across Latin America, his work focuses on soybean meal utilization, caloric efficiency, and applied research for commercial production systems.