By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — The Bloomington-based Illinois Soybean Assoc. (ISA) recently hosted its first “Livestock Industry Roundtable” in St. Louis, where leaders from the Illinois Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) joined ISA representatives to identify and clarify issues facing livestock producers.
During the discussion, IPPA delegation and representatives from meatpacking facilities and other industry stakeholders identified concerns and constraints facing the pork industry. ISA Chair Ron Moore said though animal agriculture accounts for approximately 95 percent of soybean use, the amount of Illinois soybean meal used to feed hogs is trending downward.

“We need to reverse that trend and put our soybeans back to work for the state’s pork producers,” Moore stated.

Mike Haag, IPPA president and a pork producer from Emington, said the roundtable provided a much-needed forum for pork producers to air their concerns about soybean meal and the state’s agricultural climate in general.
“I think the meeting was a great first step and a start towards working together to our mutual benefit,” he said. “The soybean growers realize how important we are to their industry, and how huge we will be to their industry in the future. The bottom line we took from the meeting is that we’ve all got to work together.”

Pork producers and packers’ concerns included a decrease in access to capital, an increase in state taxes and a difficult regulatory environment. Haag said threats to the pork industry in Illinois through new, intrusive federal or state regulations are probably the top issues to the industry.

“The state has got to maintain an environment here in Illinois that is friendly to livestock,” said Haag. “Environmental issues, as well as animal rights issues, are the top issues that need to be addressed for the benefit of both (the soy and pork) industries.”

Pork producers and packers also cited resistance to the construction of livestock farms or processing facilities, even in rural environments, as a major hurdle for the industry. Meanwhile, they said neighboring states continue to welcome such facilities with open arms.

Haag said pork producers would like to see additional support from fellow farmers when a pork facility seeks permits for new construction or expansion. “There needs to be an understanding” between both livestock and row crop industries, he said.

Limited infrastructure supporting livestock operations and transportation issues such as road embargoes and weight limits are also restricting the industry, according to the producers and packers. The ISA stated other key concerns identified by pork producers:

•Limited labor force available and problems integrating guest or immigrant workers into local communities

•Composition of soybean meal could be adjusted to improve nutritional value for hogs

•Limited understanding of manure’s value as a sustainable input and renewable resource

•Limited understanding of the benefits agriculture brings to a community

•Consumers unsure of whether modern livestock operations should be considered as farming

•Ensuring adequate pork supply for packers’ needs and global food requirements

Haag said the pork producers and packers came away from the roundtable satisfied their concerns had been treated with great respect by the soybean producers. “I think the soybean farmers now have a better understanding of our importance to them and to the economic future of their industry,” he said, adding plans are under way to make the Illinois Livestock Roundtable an annual or biennial event.

“The Roundtable was the first step in what will be an ongoing conversation between ISA leadership and Illinois livestock producers,” Moore confirmed. “Globally, food production will need to increase by 40 percent in the next 20 years. Meat production will need to increase 70 percent by 2050. Illinois soybean and pork producers need to work together and overcome these issues to fully participate in this coming demand.”