A two-day tour on 3 to 4 June is underwritten by the Illinois Soybean Association, and will display the diversity of US agriculture, from crops to livestock and shipping to agribusiness. The one-day tour, on 4 June, will feature the rich agricultural areas in and around Des Moines. Both include meals on tour days, and free admission to World Pork Expo where visitors can enjoy the world’s largest pork-specific trade show, seminars, swine shows and sales, and more.

Greg Thornton, NPPC director of producer services, said: "While there's no shortage of things to see at World Pork Expo, these tours offer an opportunity to gain a more intimate look at Iowa and US agriculture, which is particularly valuable for guests from other countries. Tour attendees will be able to visit with farmers and agribusiness experts face to face, and gain real-world perspectives to take back home."

The chance to expand global interaction is what makes both World Pork Expo and these tours unique.

Randy Spronk, NPPC president and pork producer from Pipestone, Minnesota, commented: "US pork producers have directly experienced the impact of an expanding and interconnected global market. It’s to everyone’s benefit to exchange ideas and learn from each other."

Spotlight on Midwestern agriculture

On 3 to 4 June, the Midwest Agriculture Tour will take guests to the ever-popular Cinnamon Ridge Farm near Donahue, Iowa, where they will see 4,000 acres of corn and soybeans, wean-to-finish swine facilities, as well as a beef operation and a dairy. A visit to the United States’ major shipping artery - the Mississippi River - will include lunch and a barge trip down the river, along with a grain-terminal tour. Other highlights will include tours of the Kinze Manufacturing plant and the John Deere Harvester Works manufacturing plant, as well as a dinner with area farmers and pork producers.

For those with limited schedules, the one-day Agribusiness Tour on 4 June will feature some significant Iowa-based agribusinesses, such as DuPont Pioneer, the world's leading developer and supplier of advanced plant genetics. A visit to Swine Genetics International will provide insight into US swine genetics and reproductive technologies. Participants will gain an understanding of the US food distribution channel with a walking tour of a major US grocery chain. The John Deere Manufacturing facility in Ankeny, Iowa, will round out the tour with a look at the type of modern equipment that helps livestock and crop farmers work more efficiently.

The National Pork Board (NPB) will host both tour groups for dinner at its headquarters on 4 June. Attendees can visit with NPB representatives and learn about the group's promotional, research and international programmes.

For the one-day Agribusiness Tour, the cost is $150 per person. The registration fee for the two-day Midwest Agriculture Tour, which includes hotel accommodations on Monday evening, is $350 per person.

Both tours will begin and end at the Holiday Inn Des Moines-Airport. Included in the package are bus transportation, three meals during each day of the tours and a three-day pass to World Pork Expo. As an added bonus, tour attendees will have access to free transportation from the Holiday Inn Des Moines-Airport to World Pork Expo and back on 5 to 7 June.

For more information

To register for these tours, go to www.worldpork.org and click on the red registration button. For more details about the tours, visit the World Pork Expo web site, click on the 'Producer' tab, then select 'Industry Tour' from the 'Events & Activities' pull-down menu, or contact Thornton at [email protected] or 515-278-8012.

The web site also has the latest details about room availability at the official Expo hotels, a schedule of activities, and answers to frequently asked questions about traveling to World Pork Expo. Regular updates are available when you connect with World Pork Expo on Facebook, follow World Pork Expo on Twitter (#NPPCWPX) or download the official app by searching for “World Pork” in the Apple Store, Android Market or Blackberry's App World.

This year, World Pork Expo celebrates its 25th Anniversary, on 5 to 7 June at the Iowa State Fairgrounds in Des Moines. More than 400 commercial exhibits will be on display from 8a.m. to 5p.m. on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 June, as well as from 8a.m. to 1p.m. on Friday 7 June. The swine breeding stock sales will continue on Saturday 8 June from 8a.m. until they are completed (at approximately noon).

World Pork Expo, the world's largest pork-specific trade show, is brought to you by NPPC. On behalf of its members, NPPC develops and defends export markets, fights for reasonable legislation and regulation, and informs and educates legislators. For more information, visit www.nppc.org.