UNITED STATES-PORK INDUSTRY.
A hot topic in the pork industry, group housing of sows, will be addressed March 19 during a meeting at the University of Illinois Extension office on the Illinois State Fairgrounds in Springfield. The program will feature Bjarne Pederson of Denmark, an internationally known expert on group housing of sows and how it has worked in his country. He will also be discussing other general trends in the European swine industry related to animal welfare practices.
Other presenters include Janeen Salek-Johnson of the U of I Department of Animal Sciences; Tom Stuthman, Automated Production Systems of Assumption; David Meier and Mac Luna, two South Dakota swine producers who have used group housing for sows; and Sam Baidoo of the University of Minnesota.
Several groups are sponsoring the meeting, including the Illinois Pork Council, the Illinois Pork Producers Associaton (IPPA), and U of I Extension.
The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. and adjourns at 3:30 p.m. Pre-registration is $20, which includes meal if received by March 17. At-door registration is $30. To register, contact the IPPA office at (217) 529-3100.
