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Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association Concludes 2024 Summer Meeting

Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association concluded its 2024 Summer Meeting Saturday, June 22, gathering the association’s board of directors, executive committee, four policy committees and its political action committee who laid the framework for the future of the association and the beef industry.

“As we approach the 89th Texas Legislative Session, we must strategically think about what is ahead for our industry,” said Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association President Carl Ray Polk, Jr. “This effort must be guided by our membership, who have a vested interest in the future of land and livestock in the Southwest.”

Committee meetings held earlier this spring provided a platform where members presented and drafted policies. These policies were then presented to the board of directors who passed, updated and renewed these policies for issues including property tax, animal health vaccines, groundwater rights, and wildfire prevention, mitigation and response.

“Issues both at the state and federal level have far reaching impacts to ranchers, landowners and wildlife managers,” Polk said. “Working to ensure fundamental private property rights are protected, regulatory overreach is avoided and safeguards are in place to protect the industry are top of mind.”

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How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Video: How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape pork production, and longtime pork producer Duane Stateler believes the industry is only getting started.

Recorded at World Pork Expo 2026, Stateler shares how technology has already transformed modern hog farming—from automated barn climate control and feed monitoring to real-time alerts—and explains why AI will play an even bigger role in improving animal care, efficiency, and decision-making.

As a fifth-generation hog farmer, he also discusses the importance of family farms, succession planning, labor, and how technology is helping today's producers care for more animals while maintaining high welfare standards.

In this interview:

The future of AI in pork production

How smart barns improve pig care

Feed bin monitoring and automation

Labor challenges and family farming

Why technology is shaping the next generation of producers