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Protecting risk management tools crucial for pork producers

The president of the National Pork Producers Council says protecting access to risk protection programs is a priority for the nation’s hog producers. Duane Stateler, a multi-generational farmer from Ohio, says Livestock Risk Protection and Livestock Gross Margin have played a critical role in protecting America’s pig farmers from market volatility. “Especially with the tariffs,” he says.  “They were introduced and then they were off for a month, and they were going to be reintroduced, and they were on for a day or so, then they were taking off.”

He tells Brownfield, look at the latter half of February to the 1st of March.  “When tariffs were off and they came back around that we took the top end, we took $26 off the futures market.”

Stateler says the programs have been effective for producers. “In 2020, there were only 390,000 head that participated in the insurance programs,” he says.  “But in 2024 there were over 40 million had participated in these insurance options.”

Livestock Risk Protection protects producers from a drop in market price, and Livestock Gross Margin protects producers against potential losses in gross margin due to fluctuations in livestock prices or feed costs.

AUDIO: Duane Stateler, president of the National Pork Producers Council