Despite the challenges facing the hog industry, there were still thousands of producers who attended World Pork Expo earlier this month in Des Moines. Officials estimate attendance was about 14,625, down from 2008, but it was expected due to the impact of the H1N1 virus on international travel.

Even though there were less international visitors at Expo this year, the number of exhibitors was about the same as last year and they were pleased that to find that those pork producers they visited with were interested in products that would help them increase profitability in tough economic times. I talked with Novus International Director of Product Management Wendell Knehans about some of their products, such as dietary anti-oxidants, that help produce healthier animals.

“Take it from a human perspective,” Wendell said. “Most of us know that anti-oxidants like blueberries and green tea are a good way to maintain good health and that applies to animals as well.”

Since it isn’t very practical to feed pigs blueberries and green tea, Wendell says Novus has developed products that offer a combination of anti-oxidants that provide important benefits for producers.

Listen to an interview with Wendell here: