The Nutritional Efficiency section includes information about the recently founded nutritional efficiency consortium; the consortium’s research and activity priorities; the research funded by the consortium and a subsection with links to additional information or resources.

Twenty four organisations joined forces to form the nutritional efficiency consortium including state pork associations, state and national corn grower associations and several allied industry partners. Their objectives are to determine research and producer educational opportunities that will help alleviate the increasing costs of producing pork, specifically addressing feed costs and maximising growth and performance efficiencies.

Resources that are available on the web page include the video and audio presentations offered at the Distillers Grains: Implications for the US Pork Industry conference that took place in November 2006 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Research funding

The nutritional efficiency consortium approved funding for eleven research projects in 2007, totaling more than $560,000. These projects are listed on the Web site. As research is completed, applicable tools resulting from it will be provided through this site and through other National Pork Checkoff Board tools. Approximately $600,000 in funds will be available for research in 2008.

Click here to view audio and video presentations.

National Pork Board has responsibility for Checkoff-funded research, promotion and consumer information projects and for communicating with pork producers and the public. Through a legislative national Pork Checkoff, pork producers invest $0.40 for each $100 value of hogs sold. Pork importers also invest a comparable amount.