Wayne Peugh new US NPB president

Peugh succeeds Danita Rodibaugh, who remains on the board. Lynn Harrison, a producer from Elk Mound, Wisconsin, was elected as vice president. Both will serve one-year terms.

Looking into the future, Peugh pointed to NPB's planned launch of the new Pork Quality Assurance Plus programme to deliver animal-care and well-being solutions. "This is a considerable achievement in at least two ways. It is the first time I am aware of that a commodity organisation has worked with the entire chain on the animal well-being issue. And it will help our producers remain competitive in both domestic and international markets," he said.

Export-market expansion will continue to be a priority, as will environmental stewardship.

Under his predecessor, USDA completed a nutritional study that found that multiple pork cuts are considerably leaner than they were just 15 years ago. Also that a serving of pork tenderloin is as lean as that of boneless, skinless chicken breast. Peugh said, "This is incredibly positive news for the future of our producers and we will be promoting this aggressively to consumers."

Peugh is an Illinois native and a graduate of the University of Illinois in agricultural economics. He began farming in Whiteside County in 1969. Peugh owns and manages a farrow-to-finish operation with 3,000 sows. Leading Edge Pork LLC/Peugh Farms markets 60,000 hogs per year.