Pork Board to approve Checkoff's 2009 budget

The National Pork Board will meet in early November to approve the 2009 Pork Checkoff budget before sending it to the US Department of Agriculture. Pork producers pay 40 cents for each $100 value of hogs sold to the Pork Checkoff.

The programme, whose 2008 budget is $51 million budget plans to address five critical issues through promotion, research and consumer information programs.

These critical issues are to enhance the competitive advantage of US pork, protect and expand international markets, get more pork purchased, develop a quality work force that has producer leadership and technical advisors, and improve trust and the image of the pork industry and its products. These same issues will be followed in 2009.

According to Steve Murphy, chief executive officer for the National Pork Board until Chris Novak takes over the role Oct. 1, this year's first and second quarter saw 250 million pounds of pork sold as a result of checkoff retail programs, and 52 million pounds were incremental increases over the first two quarters of 2007.

Checkoff funds have also created training tools and other materials to help producers improve their operations, such as a brochure, titled "Alternative Feed Ingredients in Swine Diets," that is available to help producers deal with high costs of corn and soybeans.

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