Pork Trade Fairing Well

Ongoing instability in the Middle East continues to send ripple effects to American agriculture. National Pork Producers Council President Rob Brenneman on trade impacts so far.

“The Iranian thing is just mind-blowing. The fuel cost has been tremendous. I don't feel it's affected trade any, as far as exports and stuff, but it has affected some of the stuff coming in. Anytime it affects oil, it affects building materials and other things, and so I think from that point it's had, but it's had a huge impact on cost when you use as much fuel as a lot, lot of, and on top of it, we're, you know, we're doing field work, and, and that adds to the cost of putting the crop in, and adds to the cost of making feed, and delivering feed, and hauling pigs to market, hauling corn to the farm, and the ingredients, it just all adds up.”

Brenneman states that the trade in general has been great, and consumer demand is continually growing.

"With all the tariffs and everything that's been happening, trade still been fairly reasonable.

“I don't think we could complain. Mean, it would always be great to have more. It really, I mean, we've had decent trade through all the follow the problems, and then consumer demand is great in this country.”

Rob Brenneman, President of the National Pork Producers Council.