Retired Director of Swine Health Information Center Honored at National Pork Industry Forum

Mar 11, 2024

Dr. Paul Sundberg received the Distinguished Service Award at the National Pork Industry Forum in early March in Rosemont, Ill., for his career-long dedication to bettering the pork industry.

Sundberg’s 40-plus year career illustrates his unwavering dedication to animal health and industry innovation. Most recently, Sundberg led the industry as the first executive director of the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC) when it was developed with Pork Checkoff funds in 2015. Prior to that, he served America’s pig farmers working for national pork organizations, in addition to practicing veterinary medicine for 10 years.

“Iowa pig farmers congratulate Dr. Sundberg for receiving this award and appreciate his continued dedication to improving swine health,” said Pat McGonegle, CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Association. “Paul has played an integral role in helping the U.S. pork industry take an active approach to dealing with emerging animal disease threats and helping producers be better prepared for a potential outbreak.”

The Distinguished Service Award, presented annually by the National Pork Board (NPB), is a fitting tribute to Sundberg's extensive career and contributions to the betterment of the U.S. pork industry. His forward-thinking initiatives, collaboration and leadership in challenging times have set new standards for excellence and integrity within the industry.

“Dr. Sundberg was one of the best bosses you could ever have. He lived by his motto, 'Hire good people, and get out of their way,'” says Dr. Patrick Webb, assistant chief veterinarian for NPB. “As a boss and mentor, he was always present and supportive. Paul is a strategist, and he could always see the bigger picture and point his staff in the right direction to be the most productive and impactful to the industry in the work they accomplished.”

The support and involvement of Sundberg's wife, Deb, and their daughters, along with their deep-rooted connection to the community, highlight the personal dedication behind his professional achievements. This familial foundation underpins Sundberg's holistic approach to leadership, emphasizing the importance of community engagement and the role of education in fostering the next generation of industry leaders.

“It’s an honor to be recognized with this award,” Sundberg reflected. “I’ve been blessed to have a career working with smart and dedicated Checkoff staff, pork producers, veterinarians, academics and many others.”

The pork industry congratulates Sundberg for his profound commitment to animal health and industry leadership.

Sundberg completed his veterinary medicine curriculum and master’s degree in clinical science/preventive medicine at Iowa State University. He also earned a doctorate degree in veterinary microbiology with a specialty in preventive medicine from Iowa State University. He is board certified in the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine and is a past president of the college.

Click here to see more...

Video: US Soy: Pig growth is impaired by soybean meal displacement in the diet

Eric van Heugten, PhD, professor and swine extension specialist at North Carolina State University, recently spoke at the Iowa Swine Day Pre-Conference Symposium, titled Soybean Meal 360°: Expanding our horizons through discoveries and field-proven feeding strategies for improving pork production. The event was sponsored by Iowa State University and U.S. Soy.

Soybean meal offers pig producers a high-value proposition. It’s a high-quality protein source, providing essential and non-essential amino acids to the pig that are highly digestible and palatable. Studies now show that soybean meal provides higher net energy than current National Research Council (NRC) requirements. Plus, soybean meal offers health benefits such as isoflavones and antioxidants as well as benefits with respiratory diseases such as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS).

One of several ingredients that compete with the inclusion of soybean meal in pig diets is dried distillers grains with solubles (DDGS).

“With DDGS, we typically see more variable responses because of the quality differences depending on which plant it comes from,” said Dr. van Heugten. “At very high levels, we often see a reduction in performance especially with feed intake which can have negative consequences on pig performance, especially in the summer months when feed intake is already low and gaining weight is at a premium to get them to market.”

Over the last few decades, the industry has also seen the increased inclusion of crystalline amino acids in pig diets.

“We started with lysine at about 3 lbs. per ton in the diet, and then we added methionine and threonine to go to 6 to 8 lbs. per ton,” he said. “Now we have tryptophan, isoleucine and valine and can go to 12 to 15 lbs. per ton. All of these, when price competitive, are formulated into the diet and are displacing soybean meal which also removes the potential health benefits that soybean meal provides.”