NHF_WEEKLY PREVIEW_ A Penton Media Property May 1, 2009 If you want to view this on the web go to: http://enews.penton.com/enews/nationalhogfarmer/v/390 MARKET PREVIEW --H1N1 Influenza A Fallout Assessed To say it has been a tough week in the pork business would be a monumental understatement. And the pain is worse when it is completely undeserved. I really don't know how to express how badly I feel for pork producers today. After seeing last year's record-high hog prices yield no profits due to ethanol-driven feed prices, you must now cope with a pork demand crisis caused by a virus whose only tie to your animals is a bit of ancient genetic material and, unfortunately, a name. It isn't right. It isn't fair. But such is life at times. I'm so sorry this has happened to you but it is time to cinch it up a bit tighter and get back to work. The sun will shine again. And these will still be the wonderful animals we have always enjoyed. First, let's assess the demand situation: It is too early to determine if U.S. consumers have actually reduced pork purchases. We think that has happened to some degree, but we don't know how much. We do know that wholesale demand has softened this week with packers reporting that retail orders have declined. That doesn't necessarily mean consumers aren't buying, however. Retailers are likely waiting as long as they can to order product, concerned about consumer buying behavior. Plus, this is a golden opportunity for them to buy at lower prices, so why would they be in any hurry? It is likely they are hand-to-mouth on pork purchases regardless of what consumers are doing. I would be if I was in their shoes. To view the full article go to: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/marketpreview/0501-h1n1-influenza-a-fallout-assessed SWINE HEALTH PREVIEW --Dealing with H1N1 Flu Questions The outbreak of H1N1 influenza A virus that started in Mexico in recent weeks has been of great concern internationally. The National Pork Board (NPB) and the American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) have provided excellent resource materials for dealing with the issues related to this outbreak: (www.pork.org/NewsAndInformation/WebFeaturePage2.aspx?Id=472 (http://www.pork.org/NewsAndInformation/WebFeaturePage2.aspx?Id=472) and www.aasv.org/ (http://www.aasv.org/)). You are encouraged to follow these recommendations and to work closely with your veterinarian as questions and concerns regarding influenza arise. There are also some technical diagnostic questions that should be considered in light of this outbreak. Following are some producer questions that have come up at the diagnostic laboratory the past week. Many questions remain unanswered at this point, and the electronic rumor mill is probably about ready to blow a hard drive from the weight of all the misinformation spinning about. We hope these answers will provide some of the information you need. To view the full article go to: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/northamericanpreview/0501-h1n1-swine-flu-questions LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW --USDA Says Pork is Safe Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack stated this week that U.S. pork is safe as he addressed the growing global concern over the outbreak of H1N1 flu in Mexico. Secretary Vilsack said, "I want to reiterate that U.S. pork is safe. While we in the U.S. are continuing to monitor for new cases of H1N1 flu, the American food supply is safe. There is no evidence or reports that U.S. swine have been infected with this virus. USDA is reminding its trading partners that U.S. pork and pork products are safe and there is no basis for restricting imports of commercially produced U.S. pork and pork products. This is not an animal health or food safety issue. This discovery of the H1N1 flu virus is in humans. Any trade restrictions would be inconsistent with World Organization for Animal Health (Office of International Epizootics [OIE]) guidelines. According to OIE, because the current H1N1 flu-related human health event has been described as swine influenza, the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) announced that there has been no infection in animals confirmed in the zones where cases of human infection have been detected. Therefore, it is not necessary to introduce specific measures for international trade in swine or their products, nor are consumers of pork products at risk of infection." A number of congressional hearings were held this week concerning the flu outbreak in Mexico. To view the full article go to: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/northamericanpreview/0501-usda-says-pork-is-safe NEWS FLASH --Pork Board Authorizes Funds For 'Pork is Safe' Message To reassure consumers that pork is safe and will continue to be safe to eat, the National Pork Board on Thursday authorized funds for a national media advertising campaign. Starting next week, ads will be targeted to major daily newspapers and a variety of Internet-based media. "We have been conducting nightly consumer research this week to measure consumer reaction to the deluge of information about 'swine,'" says Chris Novak, chief executive officer of the National Pork Board. "Even though the World Health Organization, the U.S. State Department, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and others have said this influenza strain should be called H1N1 and not swine flu, we needed to know if consumer behavior is being impacted." More than 8 of 10 consumers surveyed continue to believe that pork is safe to eat, based on the daily consumer tracking research. Also, more than 9 of 10 consumers who have purchased pork products recently believe that pork is safe. To view the full article go to: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/news/0501-pork-board-authorizes-funds-for-pork-is-safe-message PORK INDUSTRY CALENDAR May 17-20, 2009: Alltech International Animal Health & Nutrition Symposium, Lexington Convention Center, Lexington, KY; contact: symposium@alltech.com (mailto:symposium@alltech.com). May 27 - 29, 2009: PORK 101; Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas Registration Contact: AMSA member services at 800-517-2672 or information@meatscience.org (mailto:information@meatscience.org). Web Site: http://www.pork101.org (http://www.pork101.org/). To view the full article go to: http://nationalhogfarmer.com/calendar/ ABOUT THIS NEWSLETTER You are subscribed to this newsletter as #email# To subscribe to this newsletter go to: http://subscribe.nationalhogfarmer.com/?tc=NLSUB To unsubscribe from this newsletter go to: http://subscribe.nationalhogfarmer.com/?tc=NLSUB&cid=#message_id#&lid=#list_id#&email=#email# Send Comments & Questions Dale Miller, Editor, National Hog Farmer, mailto:dale.miller@penton.com Penton Media | 249 W. 17th Street | New York, NY 10011 Copyright 2009, Penton Media. All rights reserved. This article is protected by United States copyright and other intellectual property laws and may not be reproduced, rewritten, distributed, re-disseminated, transmitted, displayed, published or broadcast, directly or indirectly, in any medium without the prior written permission of Penton Media.