A wide variety of topics and technology will be discussed and displayed at the Iowa Pork Congress Jan. 24-25 at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
This will be the 51st edition of the winter showcase.
“We’re looking forward to having people at our show,” says Pat McGonegle, CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Association.
The event, which unofficially starts with IPPA’s annual meeting Jan. 23, is known as the largest winter swine show and conference in the U.S.
Educational seminars are always a highlight at the pork congress, says McGonegle. He says IPPA staff try to tailor seminars to fit current issues in the pork industry.
“Prices have been down so our economic outlook seminar we have scheduled will be very popular,” he says. “We will also have the CEO of the U.S. Meat Export Federation at the show to help update us on one of the bright spots of the pork industry at the moment, which is exports.”
Other seminar topics include industry traceability and how to tell each farm’s individual story.
Pork quality assurance training will also be offered at the pork congress. Also included are the cooking competition on Monday night, Jan. 22, followed by the annual meeting of the Iowa Pork Producers Association on Tuesday, January 23.
“That’s a great opportunity for producers to sit in on these meetings and to listen to some the seminars we bring to the meeting,” McGonegle says.
He expects to have large numbers at the event, adding producers should be able to see all the latest technology at the large two-day trade show which runs Jan. 24-25.