Newly appointed members comprise: Brett Kaysen from Colorado; Steven Rommereim from South Dakota; and Craig Rowles from Iowa. Henry Moore from North Carolina and Glen Walters from Georgia have been reappointed, and join the 15-strong member Board.
Each appointee, nominated by the National Pork Producers Delegate Body during its meeting in Kansas City, Missouri in March, will serve three-year terms on the National Pork Board.
According to the USDA’s Census of Agriculture Statistics, there are currently 63,246 pork operations, representing about 66 million head of pigs. The top pork producing states include: Iowa, North Carolina, Minnesota, Illinois and Indiana.
The Board, which represents pork producers, develops budgets and awards contracts to carry out a coordinated program designed to strengthen the position of pork in the marketplace.
Last month it updated its Transport Quality Assurance (TQA) Program, which promotes responsible practices when handling and transporting pigs. Originally implemented in 2001, the TQA has undergone five revisions, with the latest update providing "a new approach to understanding basic pig behaviour and body language, and how it contributes to a safe and positive experience for both the pig and the handler".
Sherrie Webb, animal welfare director at The National Pork Board, said: "Consumers are hungry for information on how their pork is raised - from the farm to the table. That need for information is about more than what happens on the farm and extends to how that animal is safely and humanely transported from farm to market. That’s why keeping current on transportation trends is so critical."
The National Pork Board is currently dealing with the outbreak of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhoea virus in the US, which has already resulted in the loss of more than five million piglets.
Brad Knadler, director of hog procurement at Triumph Foods, said: "Everyone involved in pork production - from producers, their employees, veterinarians and transporters - needs to develop a biosecurity plan that helps them to make good decisions and take sound action that reduces the risk of disease spread. The Pork Checkoff’s TQA program specifically addresses the need for serious biosecurity protocols to be in place and helps the pork industry further fight and reduce the spread of these industry-impacting diseases."