DES MOINES, Iowa — An estimated 20,000 pork producers and other agriculture professionals worldwide passed through the gates of the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines to attend the 2015 World Pork Expo June 3-5.

"This year’s Expo was the best I have ever attended," said Ron Prestage, DVM, National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) president and Cassatt, S.C., pork producer. "There was a lot of important information regarding challenges facing pork producers, and how hard the NPPC and the National Pork Board are working on their behalf."

Sponsored by the NPPC, this year’s Expo not only set records in its Junior National for youth participation, the Big Grill served 10,000 free pork lunches and a range of seminars attracting "abundant crowds and meaningful discussions about global issues, from trade agreements to the future of antibiotics, occurred throughout the week."

"Many attendees told me how informative the educational seminars were, and the exhibitors were very happy with the crowd," Prestage said. "The unanimous consensus was that the Expo was a smashing success."

Billed as the world’s largest pork trade show with more than 310,000 square feet, this Expo featured more than 400 commercial exhibits from companies based in North America, Asia and Europe, he said – "A one-stop-shopping place for the newest equipment, software and technology-based products that help pork producers remain competitive in a global economy," with exhibitors reporting producers’ attitudes are "upbeat and focused on the future."

Wilbert Johnston, account manager at JBS United in Galesburg, Ill., said, "The Expo is a great place to come and talk to the different exhibitors; it’s really the only time producers typically have access to this variety of companies and products. The people who are really serious about pork production are likely going to be at the Expo."

Although profit margins have narrowed considerably from last year’s record levels, Gary Wyse with Nedap Identification Systems in Netherlands said 2015 is projected to be "profitable for most pork producers, according to exhibitors. Hog numbers are up, and some facility renovation and expansion are reported to be under way."

"Everybody is positive," he said. "We had a lot of people interested in our equipment. They may not be looking for something to put in place immediately, but they are looking down the road and exploring what possibilities are available.

Hosted by the National Junior Swine Assoc. and Team Purebred, the 2015 Junior National included 200 first-time participants among the 975 youth from 29 states, taking part in educational programs, competitions and hog shows.

To accommodate the growth at this year’s Expo, Junior National events began on June 2 with Youth PQA Plus certification and 658 juniors exhibiting in showmanship competitions, with more than 200 youth in the Skillathon that measures knowledge of pork production, as well as in the judging contests.

This year, the Junior National shows included 2,200 hogs, marking a 38 percent increase from the record in 2014. Some juniors also exhibited their hogs in the open shows, which included more than 1,000 crossbred and purebred boars and gilts, according to Expo officials.

Moreover, the hog sales that followed Saturday morning totaled more than $1 million for consignors with Berkshire, Chester White, Duroc, Hampshire, Landrace, Poland China, Spot, Yorkshire and crossbred gilts and boars.

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and U.S. Trade Representative Chief Agricultural Negotiator Darci Vetter spoke with NPPC Strategic Investment Program members concerning the importance of trade and the need for Congress to approve Trade Promotion Authority legislation. Too, a panel discussed federal efforts to combat antibiotic resistance and to ensure the responsible use of antibiotics in pork production.

The 2016 World Pork Expo is slated for June 8-10.