By DOUG SCHMITZ
Iowa Correspondent

DES MOINES, Iowa — Building stronger consumer demand while developing a better product is the primary aim of the pork checkoff following its policy planning meeting recently during the World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

“We know that many producers are struggling right now with a profitability challenge,” said Steve Murphy, CEO of the National Pork Board (NPB), which houses the checkoff.

“The pork checkoff is helping producers work together to build a stronger industry. Producers are using the checkoff in many ways to build demand, move more product and raise a better product.”
The NPB unveiled its planning process for 2009 during its meeting at the World Pork Expo at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. The process includes five critical issues: the competitive advantage for U.S. pork, the safeguard and expansion of international markets, domestic pork expenditures, the trust and image of the industry and its products and human capital – the development of producer leadership and
technical advisors, and the growth of a quality workforce.
“An early step in the process is to identify the critical issues for 2009,” said Lynn Harrison, NPB president. “With producer direction and input from Pork Forum, board meetings and committee meetings, the board approved the 2009 critical issues.

“We will continue to work with producers and staff through the next few months in the budget process, with the approval expected in November.”

Each year, the critical issues faced by the U.S. pork industry change and the checkoff works to address those on behalf of U.S. pork producers, which is where it then develops new tactics to help producers deal with current issues.

“The pork checkoff was started by a group of producers who knew they could accomplish more as a group than as individuals when it came to the areas of research, promotion and education in the pork industry,” said Cindy Cunningham, NPB assistant vice president of communications. “That is still the primary objective of the pork checkoff.”

She said the checkoff is currently gathering producer input to assure the organization is heading in the best direction for the industry.

“All of our programs start with the producer,” she said. “We work through an extended and detailed budgeting system first to poll producers on their needs and priorities. From there, committees, producer groups and the National Pork Board build the ideas into tactics with the overarching goal of helping the producer in areas of promotion, research and education.”

To date, the checkoff is focusing on export success and future opportunities, with U.S. pork exports – valued at more than $1 billion in the first quarter of 2008 – marking the 16th consecutive record year in 2007. In fact, one in every four pounds of pork traded today originates from the United States, Murphy said.
Dave Moody, president of the Iowa Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA), said the foreign and domestic markets are both equally important to producers and key to a successful industry.

“The checkoff has done an excellent job of maintaining and expanding the export and domestic markets for producers,” he said. “Exports are now 20 percent of total U.S. production. Domestic demand also has improved recently.

“The IPPA embarked on an aggressive marketing and promotion campaign earlier this year to help move product during the current economic crisis facing producers. The checkoff and the state associations are doing everything possible to promote pork.”

As a way to promote its new strategy, the checkoff is focusing on domestic marketing by promoting pork at home. Earlier this year, the checkoff launched The Other White Meat Tour to celebrate pork’s positive benefits with target consumers through cooking demonstrations, product sampling and one-on-one interactions.
The NPB unveiled the route for the tour during the producer update session at the National Pork Industry Forum in St. Louis, Mo., in March. According to Traci Rodemeyer, manager of pork information for the checkoff, the tour is an experiential marketing campaign to educate consumers about all things pork.

“Our research shows that consumers want to have a positive experience with a product before buying it,” she said. “The Other White Meat Tour will facilitate the positive experience between consumers and pork through sampling opportunities and personal interactions with pork producers.”

The tour will be stopping at 23 high-trafficked consumer events across the U.S. that reach a large percentage of the checkoff’s target audience: Females 25-49 years old who have children at home and want to be better cooks. The next tour stops at Boston Harborfest in Massachusetts July 3-6.

“The checkoff devotes considerable resources to successfully supporting the pork industry through a number of key initiatives,” Moody said. “Its export, promotion, research, consumer information, producer education and environmental programs are all very successful and are instrumental in maintaining a strong and growing industry.”