Attendance was down a bit at World Pork Expo this year due primarily to the impact of the H1N1 virus or “swine flu,” which kept away many international visitors who would normally attend. Washing and sanitizing of hands was stressed more than normal and the flu was a topic of press conferences, media interviews and general conversation. As we all …
Pig Racing at WPX
Seriously, what would a pork expo be without racing pigs? While World Pork Expo is a serious event for producers who want to find out the latest information about their industry, it’s also a family event with fun stuff like pig races. Hendrick’s Racing Pigs provides the entertainment in the cattle barn on the Iowa State Fairgrounds. The races are …
Women in Swine Research and Production
No one would argue (especially not the men!) that women are the backbone of the agriculture industry and during a seminar at World Pork Expo sponsored by Novus International titled “Women in Agriculture” we heard from two world-class women making a difference in the swine industry. Dr. Laura Greiner, who does research for Innovative Swine Solutions and Carthage Veterinary Service …
Kids and Hogs
Participation in the Junior National Swine Show at World Pork Expo was up significantly this year. Apparently the kids don’t care that the hog industry is going through tough times right now! Officials said there were over 2000 entries in the show this year, up from 1800 last year, and it is so funny to see some of these really …
Novus Puttin’ on the Pig
The highlight of day two at World Pork Expo is the carving of the roasted hogs and there were four this year. We already saw Elvis Pigsly in the last post – here is the Novus International feast. The hogs are roasted for almost 24 hours before they are carved up and offered for passers-by to enjoy, with a nice …
Optimistic Outlook for Eradicating PRRS
Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome, better knows as PRRS, costs the U.S. swine industry about $560 million a year, so eradicating that disease could have a significant impact for producers. Dr. Scott Dee with the Swine Disease Eradication Center at the University of Minnesota believes it is possible within 20 years. “I’m going to be optimistic,” Dr. Dee said at …
Novus Growing to Help Pork Producers
Sustainability is the buzz word in the livestock industry and Novus International is talking with producers at World Pork Expo about helping them make even more progress in that area. “Those are the type of producers that we can really help with antibiotic-free solutions and products that help toward sustainable, natural production and at the end of the day it …
Pork Expo Going Strong
The hog industry is hurting, but optimism still exists here at the World Pork Expo 2009. Despite a year of plunging profits and flu fears, attendance is still expected to be pretty strong at the expo this year, according to general manager John Wrigley, who stopped by the Novus International tent for an interview. “We’re probably going to be down …
Off to World Pork Expo
I am packing my bags and getting ready to head off to Des Moines for World Pork Expo 2009. Once again this year, Novus International will be our primary sponsor for coverage of WPX on Agwired. We are also pleased to have the support of Boehringer-Ingelheim for part of our coverage as well. We sincerely appreciate our sponsors and hope …
10 Tips Marketers Can Learn from CDC’s Response to H1N1 Epidemic
A crazy hysteria has swept the nation as the media sensationalizes and builds fear about the flu H1NI, also commonly known as the Swine Flu. This flu has been discussed through every media outlet imaginable, and it’s safe to say that the world is concerned about this flu strain. While it’s tragic to hear about the recent deaths caused by …