A&T Developing New Strategies for Swine Producers

For Immediate Release
April 20, 2001

Greensboro, NC: Returning the pig to profitability for North Carolina's small-scale farmers is the goal of a researcher at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.

"Because the market has driven down the price of pork, small-scale swine producers can't compete with large farming operations. For many, the price that they receive for their hogs is too low to even cover the costs of raising them," said Dr. Charles Talbott, an adjunct assistant professor with North Carolina A&T State University's Department of Animal Sciences. "For raising hogs to be a viable option for these producers, they must find a way to make sure that their product commands a high enough price for them to make a living."

Talbott believes that the taste of the pork product might the key to sustainable profit margins, and that optimum taste can be achieved through alternative diets, genetics and management systems. To test these theories, he is staging taste tests on pork products from swine of varying breeds, diets and management practices, to determine which flavors appeal to consumers.

Following a model like that of the Certified Black Angus Beef Program, Talbott believes that swine producers can create a distinct and desirable type of pork for which consumers will pay premium prices. He also believes that small-scale producers can use their size as an asset in this endeavor, feeding fewer hogs more specialized diets, such as pumpkins, sweet potatoes and fruit gleaned from orchards, and managing the stock in alternative ways, such as letting them graze in open fields.

"With fewer hogs to manage, small-scale producers can be a little more creative in how they raise their hogs and in the diets that they supply their stock," said Talbott. "If we find the right diet, management and breed combination, we can perhaps help farmers create a demand for their product, and if we can create a demand, we can help the small-scale swine producer return to profitability."

- 30 -

For more information, please contact Dr. Charles Talbott, NC A&T Department of Animal Sciences, (336) 334-7786.