NPPC Submits Testimony on Importance of U.S. Pork Trade

Jul 24, 2023

This week, NPPC and the Minnesota Pork Producers Association (MPPA) submitted testimony for the congressional record on the importance of trade to the U.S. pork industry. House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) and panel member Rep. Michelle Fishbach (R-MN), who also serves on the committee’s Subcommittee on Trade, held a field hearing in Kimball, MN, to discuss “Trade in America: Agriculture and Critical Supply Chains.”

“Free and fair trade has helped the United States become an economic powerhouse,” said NPPC and MPPA in their testimony. To maintain that position, the country must expand trade in existing markets and open new markets, and it must resolve issues, including with supply chains, that could negatively affect the ability to trade.

Click here to see more...

Video: CEOs of the Industry: John McIntire, Partner at Pike Pig Systems

CEOs of the Industry, Jim sits down with John McIntire, Partner at Pike Pig Systems, one of the most quietly impressive 26,000-sow operations in the U.S. John shares how he grew from operator to partner, how Pike built a people-first culture with long-tenured managers, and why they’re committed to weaning bigger, stronger pigs at 25+ days.

John breaks down how Pike stays efficient in a tough economic environment, the power of their shareholder-owned farm model, and how their work with PIC and a 240-head boar facility drives genetics and health outcomes. He also opens up about the innovations Pike adopts — and how they decide what’s truly valuable versus industry hype.

From Prop 12 and labor challenges to trade, consumer expectations, and sustainability, John chooses a hot-button issue and shares how Pike is preparing for the future. The episode closes with a rapid-fire “Fast Five” — mindset, leadership, daily habits, and three words that define Pike Pig Systems in 2025.

If you want a look inside a people-driven, purpose-driven, quietly elite pork system, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.