SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Growing up on a livestock farm in Elkhart, Ill., Thomas Titus came to know a thing or two about raising pigs. As the president of the Illinois Pork Producers Association (IPPA), Titus is sharing that knowledge not only with farmers but also lawmakers who he hopes can write a 2023 Farm Bill that is beneficial to the state’s 2,153 pig farms.

“The farm bill must strive to protect the food supply. When we say that we mean against foreign animal disease (FAD), and specifically with pork we’re talking about African swine fever (ASF). ASF has ravaged a number of countries at this point and is currently in the Dominican Republic, which is about the distance from the U.S. as Illinois is from Florida,” Titus said. He was taking time out from watching young family members participate in 4-H Junior Swine show competition on Aug. 12, Agriculture Day at the Illinois State Fair.

Titus and the IPPA would like to see additional funding directed to prevention measures that would help stop FADs at the U.S. border. In the meantime, IPPA and the National Pork Board are offering training to help producers build the tools necessary to prevent FADs from entering their farm gates.

“The impact is much greater than livestock,” in the event of an FAD entering the country, according to Titus. “Hogs, beef cattle, chickens all consume corn and soybeans. It will affect the entire supply chain if a FAD enters our borders, much more so than anyone will anticipate.”

USDA laboratories must be fully funded and staffed through 2023 Farm Bill appropriations to continue to test animals that are moved across the United States for FADs, Titus added. Also central to pig and livestock farmers in the next farm bill: market access must be maintained through bolstering the Foreign Market Development Access Fund.

“Export demand is really what drives the pork industry. Yes, we consume over 70 percent of the pork we produce in the U.S., but the icing on the cake is the exports to other countries. Many parts of the hog that we don’t consume go to foreign markets, so that’s just added value to the pig here in the U.S. We have to be very diligent to make sure we’re keeping those free trade agreements open, and building greater relationships and demand,” Titus said.

Volatility in the market will make the 2023 marketing year a topsy-turvy one for pork and livestock producers, the IPPA president predicted.

“The market has provided opportunities to secure some price points that can maintain a level of profitability in some way, shape or form. But every aspect of what goes into raising a pig – labor, fuel, feed ingredients – is increasing in cost. Fortunately, right now the price of pork is relatively healthy, but every marketplace is cyclical and it’s not going to take much of a turn for things to get really tough,” Titus said.

IPPA members are also concerned about the labor shortage affecting agriculture that could, ultimately, affect the number of animals brought to market in coming years. “We’re keeping a close watch here in Illinois making sure the H2A (temporary agricultural) visa process continues to get pushed through at the national level. We’ve had to become more dynamic in how we attract labor, and we have to become more competitive,” he said.

As he gazed around the swine show ring at the fair, Titus reflected on the cautious optimism he felt regarding the future of agriculture in Illinois and elsewhere.

“I’m standing outside the swine show ring, and I’ve got two young daughters and three nephews who are thoroughly enthralled with showing livestock – primarily pigs and a few other species as well – and that’s great,” he said.

“But when you think about the future of the business, you’ve either got to expand or diversify your business in order to bring back the next generation. That’s a challenge for us as parents and grandparents looking to continue our farming legacies, but it’s an even bigger hurdle for the new or beginning farmer in terms of just the collateral it requires to purchase land or new farming equipment. There are some programs through the USDA-Farm Service Agency to help young farmers, but as costs continue to increase (the programs) only go so far. We need to continue to expand programs through the state and the federal government that can be offered to the young farmer to make the industry more enticing to enter.”

Titius said the opportunity to continue the legacy of the farm within the next generation is his ultimate goal and reward. He enjoys being active in the ag industry as a past Face of Farming and Ranching for the US Farmers and Ranchers Alliance, past president of the Chester White Swine Records Association, Certified Pedigreed Swine Executive board member and a member of the Team Purebred Adult board.

He is a graduate of NPPC’s Pork Leadership Institute and a participant in the NPPC Pork 2050 visioning group. Along with being on the NPB Producer Services committee, Titus also remains focused upon IPPA initiatives as chairman of the Expo Committee and involvement in the Education and Youth and Marketing committees.