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National Pork Board launches labor study of US pork industry
As labor and trucking shortages create challenges nationwide, the National Pork Board is working to quantify those impacts at the farm level.
CEO Bill Even tells Brownfield they launched a comprehensive labor study on the US pork industry last week.
“Because at the end of the day, if we go up to somebody and say we have a labor shortage, they’ll say take a number and get in line because everybody is short of workforce right now, the hospitality industry, construction industry, on down the line. So, we are using checkoff dollars to figure out how to quantity this and help stakeholders and producers make good decisions.”
He says narrowing down the areas of the pork supply chain that need the most attention will help formulate solutions.
“Maybe it is a recruitment program within the technical schools. Maybe it’s an issue related to scholarships. Maybe we need to just work inside high schools and let students know that if they want a rewarding career in their hometown, they can get a career in the pork industry.”
He says they expect to reveal results of the study at the World Pork Expo in June.
Brownfield interviewed Even at the Illinois Pork Expo in Springfield Tuesday.
