posted on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 in East Region News
Another tough year financially for pork producers nationwide is in the forecast for 2016, but with slight improvement.
Jason Hocker, a veterinarian with AMVC based out of Audubon, Iowa, agrees with the forecast for a slightly better 2016.
"We're cautiously optimistic,'' said Hocker, whose company manages a 5,000- sow facility at 12480 W. 800 South in Rochester.
The site has 8,000 to 9,000 piglets that four weeks after birth are sent to various finishing locations in Indiana.
AMVC manages farms in seven different states.
"The pig world is kind of cyclical business. You have to withstand three to four years of bad prices to get to the one or two years of good prices,'' said Hocker.
He said 25 percent of the AMVC sales are derived from exports, so a strong U.S dollar-making U.S pork more costly for other countries to purchase-makes it difficult to compete with producers from other nations.
Among the bright spots is the forecast for grain prices to remain relatively low, helping pork producers improve margins by keep operating costs down, Hocker said.
"Demand for pork is steady. We hope it improves,'' said Hocker.
According to Indiana Pork, the state ranks fifth in the U.S with 8.5 million pigs raised n 2013 and pork farmers contribute more than $3 billion each year to the Hoosier state's economy.
Pork farming in Indiana also employs more than 13,000 people and Hoosier pigs are the leading consumer of grain grown in the state, with the amount consumed valued at over $300 million each year, according to Indiana Pork.
The full article from the Farmer's Exchange can be found here?
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- amvc veterinarian
- swine