News

Following checkoff dollars

A group of Indiana farmers has been in Mexico this week to see their checkoff dollars at work.  Both the Indiana Soybean Alliance and the Indiana Corn Marketing Council are supporters of the US Meat Export Federation.  Currently USMEF is promoting a campaign in Mexico working increase per capita pork consumption in mid to lower-income households.

ICMC president Dennis Maple says this program is beneficial to Indiana corn farmers.  “We’re sending pork products down here,” he says.  “Pork and chickens are the largest consumers of corn in Indiana.  That’s definitely going to help our corn market by having a market for our grain in the United States for the livestock.”

AUDIO: Dennis Maple, Indiana Corn Marketing Council (2:30mp3)

Jay County farmer and ISA president Dave Lowe says supporting programs like this are crucial to growing demand for Indiana soybean and soybean products.  “What is not exported as a soybean or soybean meal – we need to be able to feed it and walk it off the farm,’ he says.  “That’s basically what it is.  We’re continually trying to spend the soybean checkoff dollars to promote meat and meat usage in foreign countries.”

AUDIO: Dave Lowe, Indiana Soybean Alliance (4:00mp3)

Despite higher pork prices, pork consumption and US pork imports have grown in recent years.