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Mexico pivotal to pork’s success

The executive director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association says maintaining a strong relationship with Mexico is vital to the pork industry.

Jennifer Tirey says she witnessed the importance of the partnership firsthand on a recent trade mission visit.

“It’s really interesting to be able to talk to those other countries and find out the differences in the types of cuts that those consumers enjoy versus the United States.”  She says, “That’s what’s so important about the export market.”

She tells Brownfield on average over $65 per head slaughtered can be attributed to exports.

“It further validated the fact that Mexico is such an important trading partner and that we have to keep that relationship strong,” she says, “because they are our not only our closest but also our largest.”

Tirey says accessing export markets to utilize every part of each pig brings added profitability and sustainability to pork producers.

She says insights from the trip were a favorite topic of discussion with other industry officials attending this week’s World Pork Expo in Des Moines.

AUDIO: Jennifer Tirey – Illinois Pork Producers