WASHINGTON
Given the chance to bend Mike Naig’s ear, the Farm Bill, free trade, African Swine Fever, and the struggling pork industry were all topics of concern brought up by corn growers and pork producers on Friday, Feb. 9. The Iowa Secretary of Agriculture held a roundtable with local farmers as part of his 99-county tour at the Washington County Extension Office.
“One of the best parts of my job is to be able to get out and meet folks to hear what’s on their minds,” Sec. Naig said following the roundtable in an interview with KCII.
Washington was his last stop on a corn- and pork-themed day that began at Kelderman Manufacturing in Oskaloosa and continued to Hog Slat in Sigourney.
Corn and pork might seem to be commodities at odds of late; higher corn prices mean higher feed costs for pork producers at a time when they are bleeding money. However, in Washington County, many farmers raise both corn and pigs. The key, Sec. Naig says, is balance.
“When we look across agriculture in the state, we say when things are in balance, that is when we are doing the best we can, as in the corn grower is profitable and the pork producer is profitable,” he said. “You can have both.”
Right now, “we are seeing a pullback in corn prices” and “there are some concerns about profitability this year,” Sec. Naig said, but “on the pork side, you just flat out have incredibly challenging economic times. The numbers aren’t good. The projection for 2024 is better than 2023; however, they’re still projected to lose money on every pig. That’s clearly not sustainable.”
“We are stronger when it’s in balance and all can be profitable,” he continued. “That’s why it continues to be important that Iowa has a diversified marketplace, that we have a strong ethanol biodiesel, renewable diesel, bioenergy, bio-based material and livestock community that sort of works together.”
Iowa’s farmers are incredibly good at production. In spite of less-than-ideal rainfall in 2023, corn yields were high. Because of improved genetics and disease management, more baby pigs are surviving and finished pigs are selling at higher weights. So much supply can lead to lower profitability – or, as Sec. Naig says, conservation opportunities.
When it comes to corn, for example, “When you look at sustainability measures, it gives us an opportunity to say, Can we look at some acres within our state that are better suited for something other than row crops? I think that actually creates an opportunity to perhaps put some acres back into pasture and to seed some acres down in conservation practices. That’s one component that doesn’t get talked about. The more productive we are on other acres, maybe we can look at targeting some conservation practices on the less productive acres,” he said.
However, in a global marketplace, supply isn’t the only variable when it comes to profit.
“We are always going to be looking for markets for our products,” Sec. Naig said. “What you want to try to achieve is a diversified marketplace.”
When corn as nutrition struggles, it’s a good thing to have strength in another category, such as ethanol, he says. If we can create a market in sustainable aviation fuel, “that creates a resiliency for Iowa’s agriculture.”
“I think it’s a healthy thing for us to be looking for other avenues to take our corn and soybeans and turn them into higher value products,” he said. “What we strive for is some balance in that.”
Sec. Naig’s goals for 2024 include setting records for conservation, especially when it comes to water quality and soil heath, and the prevention of foreign animal disease in livestock. In addition, he is excited about the Choose Iowa program, which identifies Iowa produce and food products with a logo, and thus a recognizable brand, that connects consumers to Iowa-grown food and expands markets for Iowa farmers.
