Innovation shines through as process adapts with cancellation of the 2019 World Pork Expo.

Kevin.Schulz, senior content specialist

June 19, 2019

7 Slides

Potential risk of African swine fever may have forced the cancellation of the 2019 version of World Pork Expo, but it could not deter companies from creating new products and services for the swine industry.

So even though World Pork Expo did not take place, National Hog Farmer’s New Product Tour — a highlight of the annual trade show — carried on, though in a slightly different fashion. Normally, the judges visit the booths of the products that the panel had previously deemed worthy of “finalist” status. A company representative would give the judges a presentation on the respective product, providing the judges an opportunity to see and feel the product while getting a face-to-face connection.

Obviously, without World Pork Expo, there were no booths to visit, but the show, in this sense, must still go on.

The panel of judges — Gregg Hora, swine producer and past president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association from Fort Dodge, Iowa; Brad Leuwerke, veterinarian with Swine Vet Center in St. Peter, Minn.; Gary Anderson, agricultural engineering professor in the Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering at South Dakota State University; and Brett Ramirez, assistant professor in the Iowa State University Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering — still narrowed down the list of nominees to finalists, but with no booths to visit, we improvised, using conference calls to conduct the interviews with the company representatives.

This slideshow has the six finalists, as well as the product that garnered the Producers’ Choice award honors through online voting by National Hog Farmer readers. 

About the Author(s)

Kevin.Schulz

senior content specialist, National Hog Farmer

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