“It’s really easy to identify the price of something, it takes work to understand the value,” National Pork Board president David Newman said during the Pork Industry Forum.
And Gene Noem, National Pork Board vice president, says that statement couldn’t be more applicable to the $15-million investment the Pork Checkoff made to fund the Swine Health Information Center (SHIC).
In response to the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) outbreak that caught the U.S. pork industry by surprise, SHIC was launched in July 2015 as a one-time endeavor with a projected life span of five years. However, the National Pork Board voted last year to extend the program, using existing SHIC funds, through July 2022.
Although $15 million may seem like a lot of money, Noem says this investment is a great example of how the National Pork Board’s funds have brought a significant return on investment for all pork producers through deliverables made possible by SHIC’s nimble structure, unique responsibilities and independence.
