INVESTING CHECKOFF DOLLARS
‘TIS THE
Season for Giving Pork donations go beyond the typical stocking stuffer BY KATIE JOHNSON
F
or the 360,000 Iowans who struggle with hunger — 1 in 6 being children according to Feeding America — the trade war impacting soybean and hog producers this growing season came with a silver lining. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) trade mitigation program includes a food purchase and distribution component. Up to $1.2 billion in commodities unfairly targeted by retaliatory tariffs will be distributed through nutrition assistance programs. Nearly $559 million of that amount is allocated for pork.
14 | DECEMBER 2018 | IASOYBEANS.COM
This means Iowans who struggle with hunger will see a large amount of pork donations at their local food pantries. “We need stable movement in pork supply in order to have a consistent demand for U.S. soybean meal,” says Grant Kimberley, director of market development at the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA). A reliable, domestic demand for soybeans is more critical than ever for sustained profitability. “From an international, national and most importantly,
Iowa, perspective, continued stabilization in the pork industry helps the soybean market,” Kimberley continues. “Twenty-five percent of all U.S. soybean meal is fed to hogs. When you consider Iowa produces more hogs than any other state, the important of that relationship becomes clear.” Iowa’s status as the nation’s leading pork producer depends on soybean farmers. According to the Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) the average pig consumes nearly 2.5 bushels of soybeans in their lifetime.
