Iowa pig farmer chosen as an industry rep in nationwide search

At The Close
2014 exports mixed
PRODUCERS
Livestock News
Vol. 53, Number 1
“Strength through cooperative marketing”
January 2015
Iowa pig farmer chosen as an industry
rep in nationwide search
the heartache of PEDV. She’s
there, along with other employees, to provide care to newborn
piglets—drying them off, keeping them warm and making
sure they can find milk.
“I see every day as kind of
a puzzle with your sows farrowing--how many pigs everybody has, what size the pigs
are, getting the right pigs on
the right sows and getting them
all milked,” she says. “There’s
so many things going on and
you have to piece everything
together just right to make it
work. I love that challenge of
it.”
BY BETHANY BARATTA
t may come as a surprise
that the Iowan chosen
to represent the pork
industry in the United
States didn’t grow up on a
farm. She didn’t grow up in
Iowa, either.
Erin Brenneman grew up in
a suburb of Chicago. But since
meeting husband Tim in college at Iowa State University,
Erin has gained a broad understanding of the pork industry;
it’s been her life for the past
10 years. Chosen recently as a
winner of the U.S. Farmers and
Ranchers Alliance’s (USFRA)
Faces of Farming and Ranching
program through a nationwide
search, Brenneman will serve as
a farmer representative of the
pig industry.
I
Face for industry
A whole new world
So how did the city girl
become a face for agriculture?
Erin says she asked a whole lot
of questions when she returned
to the farm, got involved in
the farm’s activities and shared
that knowledge with friends,
family, even her hairdresser.
“I remember coming back
(to the Brenneman farm) thinking, oh, it’s a whole new world
that people don’t know about,”
Erin recalls. “It was neat. It was
moving, honestly, to think of
all the things that go on on the
farm that people like me, from
the city, will never know or get
to experience.”
She earned her animal science degree, married Tim and
moved to southern Iowa to be
closer to the family’s farrow-tofinish farm. The farm consists
of just over 20,000 sows over
three sites. The home farm is
located in southeast Iowa with
two other sow farms in Missouri.
At first, she followed Tim
around on the farm to get a
Erin Brenneman, a pig farmer in southeast Iowa, was recently chosen as one of the
U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Faces of Farming.
PHOTO/GARY FANDEL.
sense of the farm’s activities.
She helped power wash barns,
load pigs that were ready for
market and even helped with
the family’s field work. But it
was a conversation with her
father-in-law and a trip to
the farrowing house that Erin
found her place on the farm.
“My father-in-law (Rob
Brenneman) said to me, ‘Do
one thing better than every-
body else,’ ” Erin says.
And that’s where her focus
on the farm’s farrowing house
began.
“I explain it to people as the
maternity ward for pigs,” she
says.
In the farrowing house, she
watches over sows, assisting
sows that are having complications giving birth. She’s witnessed the miracle of birth and
Erin said she knew of the
USFRA’s Faces of Farming and
Ranching program, but when
the application asked for her
number of followers on Facebook and Twitter, Erin decided
to take a year to build those
connections. A year later, she
filled out the application.
Erin had more followers and
engagements on social media
this time, and she was ready.
She created a short video about
her involvement on the farm
and submitted the application.
Erin was notified that she was
one of eight finalists. A phone
interview with last year’s
Faces of Farming and Ranching, online voting and further
review from the contest’s judges narrowed the pool to five
winners of the program.
In her role as a Face of Farming, Erin will spend this year
helping consumers and others
understand what happens on
the family’s hog farm. She’ll
help clear up misconceptions,
communicate about chores
to her online audiences and
continue to work in the farm’s
maternity ward.
FARMING PAGE 3
Risk management still plays key role in hog industry
BY DARCY MAULSBY
The swine industry is breathing a sigh of relief, thanks to
the reduced impact from Porcine
Epidemic Diarrhea (PEDV) this
winter. Producers are now shifting
into expansion mode, as indicated
in the latest U.S. Department of
Agriculture’s quarterly hogs and
pigs report, which revealed no
major surprises.
“With breeding herd additions
higher, sow utilization trending
higher and a return to 2013 productivity levels, many factors are
pointing toward expansion in the
industry,” said
Lee Schulz, an
Iowa State University Extension livestock
economist.
“None
of
this is guaranteed, but current estimates SCHULZ
are that we’re going to have more
sows farrowing, and therefore
more pigs and more pork pounds
that show up beginning around
the latter part of next year.”
The inventory of all hogs and
pigs totaled 66.1 million head, up
2 percent from a year ago, according to the December 2014 hogs
and pigs report. The breeding
inventory, at 5.97 million head,
grew 4 percent from last year and
1 percent from the previous quarter. The market hog inventory, at
60.1 million head, rose 2 percent
from last year and 1 percent from
the previous quarter.
“The impetus for growth has
been the historic returns pork
producers enjoyed in 2014,”
Schulz said. “Given current mar-
ket expectations it appears that
returns will stay in the black in
2015.”
Sows farrowing during the
September-November 2014 period totaled 2.87 million head, up
3 percent from 2013. In this same
period the 2014 pig crop, which
reached 29.4 million head, shot
up 4 percent from 2013.
“In the last two quarters the
U.S. has added more than 100,000
head to the breeding herd inventory,” Schulz said. “Given the farMARGINS PAGE 3
Lower volumes of U.S.
beef and pork exports were
reported in November, but
the value of these exports
were on record pace,
according to data released
recently by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA) and compiled
by the U.S. Meat Export
Federation (USMEF). The
cumulative 2014 volume
totals were still higher year-over-year, with
January-November beef
exports up 2 percent to 1.1
million metric tons. Pork
exports were also 2 percent
higher at just under 2 million metric tons, the report
said.
With December totals
still to be recorded, beef
exports already set a new
full-year value record of
$6.49 billion (up 16 percent year-over-year). Pork
export value through
November ($6.13 billion,
up 11 percent) is on pace to
break the 2012 record and
already exceeds the 2013
year-end total, the report
said.
Third strain of PEDV
U.S. researchers have
identified a new strain of a
hog disease that has wiped
out millions of baby pigs,
a sign the virus will keep
mutating as producers
work to contain it, according to a Reuters news
report.
A third strain of Porcine
Epidemic Diarrhea virus,
or PEDV, was detected in
a Minnesota hog herd and
found to be at least as virulent as an original strain
that emerged in the United
States in early 2013, said
Douglas Marthaler, assistant professor of veterinary
population medicine at the
University of Minnesota.
Higher egg prices
The new year is bringing higher egg prices
across the United States as
California starts requiring
farmers to house hens in
roomier cages. The new
standard, backed by animal rights advocates, has
been criticized by chicken farmers in Iowa, Ohio
and other states who sell
eggs in California and will
have to abide by the same
requirements. California
is the nation’s largest consumer of eggs and imports
about one-third of its supply.
Jim Dean, president and
CEO of Centrum Valley
Farms in Iowa and Ohio,
told Fox News that one of
his buildings that holds 1.5
million hens is now about
half full to meet California’s standards and another building may have to be
completely overhauled.
Farmers in cold climates
will have to install heaters
to replace warmth formerly generated by the chickens living close together,
Dean said. “You’re talking
about millions upon millions of dollars,” he said.
2
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2015 could be historic
for cow-calf sector

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Continued tight global supplies of cattle and beef through
the end of 2014 have kept U.S.
beef producers in the driver’s seat
into 2015.
“I see 2015 as being another
historic year for cow-calf producers,” said Lee Schulz, an Iowa
State University Extension livestock economist. “It may well be
an above-average year for stockers and backgrounders, as well.”
This builds on the momentum of 2014, when cattle and
beef prices advanced from what
were then historic levels at the
beginning of the year to a nearly
continuous series of record levels
throughout the year.
“Cattle and beef prices are
expected to maintain these levels
in 2015,” Schulz said. “While
they’re not likely to increase as
much or as fast as in 2014, they
may average higher than 2014
and could set new record prices
seasonally during the year.”
The same factors that played
key roles in 2014 will likely determine how much higher cattle and
beef prices will push in 2015.
Schulz contends that both supply
and demand are combining to
drive prices.
“Feeder cattle supplies will
continue to tighten into 2015
with a smaller 2014 calf crop,
increased heifer retention and the
likelihood of fewer cattle imports
from Mexico and Canada. The
2015 calf crop may grow with
limited herd expansion in 2014,
but continued heifer retention in
2015 will keep feeder supplies
tight.”
Schulz said.
Although retail beef prices are
expected to keep rising, feedlots
and packers will struggle to maintain margins as high feeder and
fed-cattle prices will likely outpace the speed of wholesale and
retail price adjustments.
“The feedlot segment is where
I expect the largest pullback in
returns, at least relative to 2014,”
Schulz said.
Rebuilding the herd
On the flip side of a pullback, did the beef-cow herd begin
expanding in 2014? It appears so,
although the final confirmation
will come in the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s (USDA) cattle
report on Jan. 30, Schulz said.
The more important question
is how much herd rebuilding
occurred in 2014, he added.
“Herd expansion is expected to
continue in 2015 and for several
more years, but it is by no means
guaranteed. How fast and large
inventories can and will expand
will likely depend on weather,
land availability, productivity gains, capital availability and
growth in domestic and export
beef demand,” Schulz said.
Most herd expansions in the
past have included one to two
years of minimal or modest herd
growth, followed by two to three
years of accelerated growth.
“With this in mind, 2014 into
2015, and 2015 into 2016 could
be a period of modest growth, followed by faster growth in 2017,
2018 and 2019,” Schulz said. “In
that scenario, we’re looking at the
low in the beef supply in 2016.”
Demand the wildcard
Production, prices
Beef production is expected to
decrease another 1 to 2 percent in
2015, following the 5 to 6 percent
year-over-year decrease in 2014,
Schulz said. Cattle slaughter will
likely decrease another 1.5 to 2.5
percent in 2015, with fewer cows
and yearlings in the slaughter mix.
Steer and heifer carcass weights
will likely remain large following
the sharp increase in late 2014.
While these weights will average
higher in 2015, they’re unlikely
to increase much above current
record levels, Schulz noted.
Going forward, the focus will
continue to be on beef demand in
2015 as further reductions in beef
supplies push wholesale and retail
beef values higher.
“While beef demand in 2014
was stronger than expected,
additional meat supplies from
increased pork and poultry production in 2015 will add more
pressure to retail beef markets,”
Maulsby is a freelance writer
in Lake City, Iowa.
With that in mind, now’s a
good time to evaluate production methods and see if marginal
adjustments are warranted, Schulz
noted. For example, conception
rates may be boosted marginally
by having cows in better shape
at breeding. Also, ensuring bull
fertility with breeding soundness
exams may avoid decreased or
delayed conception. Cow and calf
health programs should be evaluated to reduce the risk of performance and death loss.
With the large number of dollars at stake, Schulz also advises
cattle feeders to maintain some
form of price protection.
“Using strategies that protect
downside risk while allowing participation in further rallies still
looks like the best route to follow,” he said.
Producers Livestock News
January 2015
3
From My Desk
By Rick Keith,
President PLMA
W
After low production and record prices in 2014,
what's in store for cattle farmers in 2015?
ow, 2014 was
quite the year
for the cattle
market.
We saw the lowest beef production numbers for 20 years
and the second highest export
numbers in history.
Short supplies of beef led
the market to setting all-time
record prices in all areas of
beef production; bred heifers,
fats, feeders, stockers. Retail
meats also set record prices in
all categories.
Probably the biggest jump
has been in cash calf prices;
they were 50 percent higher
at their top than in 2013. The
cow/calf farmers have had a
wonderful run. Now we need
the stocker and fed cattle pro-
FARMING
FROM PAGE 1
Motivating farmers
Among the items on her
to-do list as a face of farming:
“Just getting farmers motivated
to share their story,” she says.
Farmers don’t have to tackle
a large issue like defending gestation crates, Erin says. Consumers and audiences want to
know what farmers do on their
farms to keep pigs safe and
healthy.
“You have to say I got up
today and say my feedline was
broken and it was 10 degrees
out and I fixed it, and now
my pigs have feed,” she says.
“People want to know that.”
Talking to people who have
no understanding of the pork
industry or agriculture can be
a little more difficult, but Erin
says farmers can start small.
“Someone you don’t know,
ask them what they do. That’s
a great way to start,” she says.
How does Erin do it? She
talks to her hairdresser.
“I always tell my hairdresser: I know my hair is a mess. It’s
always wet, I shower four times
a day, I’m sorry,” she says.
That always sparks a good
MARGINS
FROM PAGE 1
rowing intentions moving forward
and even a conservative estimate
on the number of pigs saved per
litter, it puts us at or near record
pig crop levels.”
Productivity, demand
The average pigs saved per litter reached a record high of 10.23
for the September-November
2014 period, compared to 10.16
for the previous quarter. This
uptick shows a welcome return to
better productivity in U.S. herds,
said Schulz, who noted that the
biggest improvement has come
from larger operations.
It’s also important to note that
the U.S. swine industry a year ago
was in the middle of the PEDV
outbreak, which decimated entire
farrowing groups of some herds.
Those herds now carry a level of
immunity, and so far the disease
ducers to enjoy these same
profits.
One of the major reasons
that the cow/calf men and
women have seen these wonderful prices is the fact that
they sell their product in the
cash market. Auction barns,
videos or private treaty; the
cash price is set by the highest
bidder and not some contract.
Think about contracts
We have seen contracts
come into the fed cattle business in a big way. Have you
not seen what has happened in
the poultry, turkey and swine
markets? In the swine market
we are basing the entire price
on less than 2 percent of the
marketed livestock. We don’t
conversation, she says. So
Erin tells her hairdresser that
she showers four times daily
because the farm has strict biosecurity policies to keep pigs
safe. They shower into the
farrowing house to keep biohazards out of the barn, and
“shower out for courtesy,” she
says.
Erin says she wants to help
others learn more about the
industry and about their family’s farm. Erin and Tim started
educating others by introducing their sons TJ and Peyton to
the farm at an early age.
“Responsibility and respect
are huge things in raising animals-that you can’t learn in a
classroom, ever,” she says.
Peyton, 3, wants to be a
farmer; TJ, 8, an astronaut.
“They don’t have to come
back, but I want them to understand what this is here,” Erin
says.
Nurturing environment
Rob and Char Brenneman,
Tim’s parents, established the
farm in 1980. Tim and Erin
were the first back to the farm
after college, and other family
members followed. Most family members work on the farm
on a daily basis, Erin says. And
the employees who aren’t fam-
hasn’t had nearly the same impact
as last winter.
While PEDV contributed significantly to the tight supply situation in 2014, retail pork demand
stayed strong.
“Given the pounds produced
and consumed in the United States
in 2014, the retail price realized
was higher than most expected,” Schulz noted. “The second
and third quarters of 2014 were
among some of the best quarters
for U.S. retail pork demand, the
way I estimate it, in more than
10 years.”
That’s a positive signal for the
entire pork industry, because the
public was willing to pay more
for those reduced pork pounds
than the industry expected. Perhaps U.S. consumers saw more
value in those pork products,
Schulz said.
Maybe the products were more
convenient. It could also be that
consumers were less sensitive to
the price or enjoyed improving
want this in the cattle industry.
Packers have been running
around the country trying to
sign up producers on contracts.
Do you really think they are
to your benefit? They are for
the benefit of the packer, and
as the cash cattle market falls
below 20 percent nationally
you will see changes. Texas,
Oklahoma and Kansas are the
worst offenders. Texas and
Oklahoma trade almost nothing in the cash cattle market.
They rely on Iowa, Minnesota
and Nebraska to set the contract prices for them.
Stephen Koontz from Colorado State University has an
idea: the government should
not report the cash cattle trade.
Instead, he says, the people
ily? Well, they’re treated like
family, too, Erin explains. The
farm celebrates birthdays and
shares holiday dinners. They
support their local community
and sponsor youth baseball
teams. And the farm definitely
supports youth and new ideas.
“I think that’s a big key to
our success—bringing youth
and new ideas,” Erin says. “We
have access to some of the most
amazing minds; I find that so
cool about this farm.”
City lights to farm gate
As a face of farming, she’ll
connect with consumers and
share her farm story. She said
she expects to connect with
consumers who are also mothers and answer questions they
might have about the industry.
“How did I get here? I was
just living in Chicago it seems
like not too long ago,” Erin
says.
“I never stepped a foot on
the farm, never touched a pig.
How did I become one of these
people? And that’s moving for
me. It’s cool; I think it’s very
cool.”
To connect with Erin, check
out the farm’s Facebook page
(Brenneman Pork, Inc.) and
follow her on Twitter (@sowmomma).
incomes.
“Likely some or all of this
is true, which led to a positive
demand story in 2014,” Schulz
said.
Risk management key
While the positive trends of
2014 have primed the swine
industry for expansion going forward, expansion is often a mixed
blessing.
“It’s to some extent a warning
for the industry that we might
see much larger hog and pork
supplies in late 2015 into 2016,”
Schulz said.
That’s why price risk management should continue to play a
key role, he added.
“Marketing plans, and the price
risk management tools employed,
should be flexible enough to
adjust strategies to react to changing market conditions.”
Maulsby is a freelance writer
in Lake City, Iowa.
selling on contract should pay
the cash cattle seller’s fees to
get the information.
Why should we help the big
feedlots of Texas fill contracts
when we are the ones setting
the cash market of which their
contracts are based? Right now
the government is the biggest
supplier of this information for
free.
buying puts on your cattle, this
will give you the best marketing opportunities when your
cattle are ready for sale.
No one knows what 2015
will hold in store for pork
and beef prices; we are still in
very short supply in the cattle
industry and the hog farmers
are starting to build the breeding stock.
Hedge, buy puts
Thank you
We will be hearing more
about these contracts in the
upcoming months. As always
we advise hedging or at least
We at Producers Livestock
look forward to working with
you in the upcoming year.
Thank you for your business.
USDA reports
January
January 22 — Milk production
Livestock slaughter
Cold storage
January 23 — Cattle on feed
February
February 19 — Livestock slaughter
February 20 — Milk production
Cold storage
Cattle on feed
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to the ag industry. Today, we’re changing
to meet the needs of agricultural operators
with new products and services, including:
- Country marketing/contract services
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Producers Livestock
Marketing Association
4809 So. 114th Street
Omaha, NE 68137-2308
Marketing Division:
1-800-257-4046
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1-800-950-7522
4280 Sergeant Road, Suite 240
Sioux City, Iowa 51106-4710
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1-800-831-5936
Pork Division:
1-800-318-5619
ProducersLivestock.net
4
Producers Livestock News
January 2015
By Richard Ellinghuysen
Vice President, Producers Livestock
Pork 2015: More hogs, more demand
The consensus among most
hog price analysts is for a
favorable 2015 followed by a
“dangerous” 2016.
Analysts estimate U.S. hog
farmers will produce at least
5 percent more pork in 2015
with the last quarter being
closer to 7 percent with continued expansion into 2016.
That would be real bad
news for 2015 markets if it
weren’t on the heels of 2014
characterized by a PEDVreduced hog kill and looking
forward at new 2015 Asian
demand.
China factor in pork price
Many analysts believe that
China’s sizable reduction to
its sow herd in 2014 is going to
drive pork imports to record
levels in 2015.
Bad pork prices in China
resulted in them culling 6 million sows the last 12 months,
taking them to the lowest level
since January 2009. Some analysts project a jump in China
pork imports by more than 15
percent. If the U.S. gets a nice
piece of that demand, it’ll be
supportive to prices.
But some also see U.S.
domestic pork demand flattening as more and cheaper poultry
becomes
available
this year.
Avian flu
is popping
up around
the globe
and there
have been
some poultry
bans
against
U.S. chicken.
This
could put
more and
cheaper poultry in the domestic market sooner than later.
On the other hand, flu in other
countries could cut the global
poultry supply overall.
Analysts also see a continuation of high beef prices this
year making both pork and
poultry very price competitive
domestically. Foot-and-mouth
disease (FMD) is currently
spreading in South Korean
hog and cattle herds, so South
Korea may need to import
both beef and pork.
PEDV isn’t totally gone in
the U.S., Canada and Mexico
and could still fire up and
moderate pork supply. Mexican hog slaughter was down
more than 10 percent last
year
due
to
PEDV,
resulting
in
more
U.S.
pork
imports into
that country.
Energy
prices have
dropped.
Feed grain prices have fallen. Inputs may be the lowest they’ve been in a while,
and that allows for hog profits
even if hog prices are significantly lower in 2015.
A few wild cards of uncertainty include Russia, Brazil and the strong U.S. dollar. Russia’s ban on food from
the West because of sanctions ended U.S. exports to
them and busted the European Union (EU) hog market.
The EU is now aggressively
pursuing Asian markets.
The Russian ban also made
Brazil a big winner as they
supplied more than 70 percent
of Russia’s imported pork at
one point last year. A strong
U.S. dollar makes our pork
more expensive in global markets, and encourages imports
into our own country.
Hedge at profitable levels
I encourage producers to
hedge at least a portion of
their production at profitable
levels each year. The unknown
is also why some hedgers left
money on the table last year
when they probably would
have made bigger profits by
not hedging.
Still, it’s likely even hedgers
made unprecedented profits –
unless they were clobbered by
PEDV and spent heavily on
ISO/feeder replacement pigs.
Even then, most producers
made money in 2014.
So is 2015 the year to avoid
hedging? I can’t advise that. I
continue to advocate a plan of
consistently hedging a portion
of hogs produced and use of a
strategy to “stair step” profit
levels higher when opportunity arises.
Why risk giving back the
equity that’s been built recently when markets eventually
turn south? Like the certainty
of death and taxes, markets
that go up will eventually go
down.
Will 2014’s amazing occasional $100 per head profits
eventually bring $100 per
head losses some day? I hope
not. But those who say we’ve
reached a new plateau and
hog prices will never go below
$70 need to remember what
happened to corn when those
prices were supposed to plateau “permanently” above $5.
Be afraid of 2016?
There is a growing consensus that producers should be
afraid of 2016.
The hog expansion that’s
currently under way in the
United States will be full
blown by then; as will poultry
expansion.
Cattle industry expansion
is projected to be in play now,
and more and less expensive
beef may be available then - or
by 2017. A strong U.S. dollar
also “encourages” a lot of Aussie beef to head our way and
the USDA is currently working to get South American
beef [FMD risk] and European
beef [BSE risk] approved for
importation.
All of the “new” livestock
in production from ongoing
expansion – chickens, hogs
and cattle – will drive more
feed grain demand and may
put upward pressure on input
prices.
By 2016 producers worldwide with weaker currency
making their meat more price
competitive, may also have a
better foothold in the Asian
markets.
Meanwhile U.S. hog production biosecurity, driven to
improve by PEDV, will likely
be better than it’s ever been,
increasing our productivity to
record levels.
Let us help
Put it all together and
experts call the 2015 outlook a
bit mixed but generally optimistic and 2016 rather scary.
Like always, time will
tell. Talk to your Producers
Pork Agent and let them help
you maximize the value of
your hogs in the cash market
week-to-week, and ask them
to help you form a plan to
hedge your bets with cash
flow and hedge contracts
going forward.
We want you to be successful today and tomorrow.
Thank you for your business.
Iowa Pork Congress to be held Jan. 28-29 in Des Moines
The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) has
worked hard over the past
several months to bring you
the best show possible and
we invite you to participate in
everything Pork Congress has
to offer. It’s with great pride
that IPPA presents this 43rd
annual event at the Community Choice Credit Union Convention Center in downtown
Des Moines.
We’re excited that more
than 280 companies covering
all facets of the pork industry will be represented at the
tradeshow in more than 530
booth spaces. Iowa’s status as
the leading pork-producing
state in the U.S. is recognized
by companies worldwide; the
exhibitor list includes many
international firms that market
products and services of interest to pork producers. You will
want to check with the companies that are rolling out new
products this year. You can
easily access who has what in
the New Product Showcase.
Many pork producers find
great value in the free seminars
provided at Pork Congress and
IPPA has built a reputation
for having some of the best
speakers and subjects perti-
nent to the industry anywhere.
This year’s lineup includes
sessions on Iowa regulations
and nuisance cases, PEDV, pit
foaming, economic forecasts
and policies. IPPA has made
arrangements to show Academy Award-winning filmmaker James Moll’s feature length
documentary “Farmland” on
Thursday afternoon. The film
takes viewers inside the world
of farming and the lives of six
young farmers and ranchers in
their twenties. I encourage you
to make it a point to watch the
film if you haven’t seen it.
The 2015 Iowa Pork Congress will feature a keynote
address by Damian Mason.
“Agriculture’s
Professional Funny Man” will discuss
modern ag trends, challenges
and what lies ahead in telling
farming’s story with sharp wit
and intelligent humor. Damian’s presentation will be on
Wednesday at 2 p.m.
IPPA is again reaching out
to tomorrow’s producers and
leaders for the seventh annual
Youth Swine Judging contest
on Thursday at the Iowa State
Fairgrounds. This has rapidly
become a popular event and
we’re hopeful for another big
turnout of 4-H and FFA mem-
bers to learn more about the
industry and compete for valuable scholarships.
You may notice that IPPA
is launching a new promotion during this year’s show
to showcase pork and to drive
customers to downtown Des
Moines’ restaurants during
Pork Congress and beyond.
“Dine on Us!” replaces the
Winter Pork Picnic. Discount
coupons will be distributed to
consumers and these can be
redeemed on a pork meal at a
participating restaurant.
The week’s activities begin
on Monday with the annual
IPPA Taste of Elegance contest and reception. The IPPA
Annual Meeting will be held
on Tuesday, followed by the
annual Kickoff Reception and
Auction. The Pork Congress
Banquet is on Wednesday evening.
It’s an exciting week for
the pork industry with events
and activities for everyone.
We appreciate your interest in
Pork Congress and hope your
participation is rewarded. On
behalf of the IPPA board of
directors and staff, thank you
for attending and keeping
Iowa the nation’s pork leader!
Sincerely,
Jamie Schmidt
IPPA president