Agricultural News
Roy Lee Lindsey Talks Summer Grilling with Pork
Wed, 02 Jul 2014 19:25:26 CDT
Fourth of July holiday is full of time at the lake, hanging out with family and friends and grilling season. Oklahoma Pork Council Executive Director Roy Lee Lindsey visits with Farm Director Ron Hays. Lindsey recommends consumers consider pork.
"Folks are going to be putting meat on the grill, that's what we do especially here in Oklahoma," Lindsey said. "Whether you're talking about grilling pork chops, smoke some ribs for the week and you can grill some pork ribs too."
In planning ahead for that family get together, Lindsey shared that there are a lot of recipes through their website. Click on the LISTEN BAR below as Roy Lee and Farm Director Ron Hays talk grilling. In doing something different, Lindsey recommends cooking up some pork burgers. Ground pork is available at almost any grocery store and this offers a unique twist and a traditional hamburger.
"I think you will find folks absolutely rave about the flavor and texture and wow what did you do," Lindsey said. "If that is too much of stretch then don't forget to add some bacon to burgers you were planning to cook."
In the 4th of July market basket survey from American Farm Bureau, a picnic for ten people will cost $58.72, up five percent over a year ago. Part of that increase is attributed to higher meat prices due to nation's cattle herd is a historically small number and the total number of hogs farmers are raising is also down. That shows up in the purchase of four pounds of spare ribs will cost approximately $13.91. That's an increase of $1.62 or about 13.2 percent over last year.
The price of pork has gotten more expensive in the past year due to the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus. At the recent World Pork Expo in Iowa, Lindsey say veterinarians have reported that the number of cases are starting to slow down.
"Veterinarians all thought that was going to happen this summer due to summer heat," Lindsey said. "This type of corona virus tends not to like heat, so generally they don't spread very well over the summer and it looks like that's the case."
The big unknown is what going to happen this fall, this winter. When it gets cold, Lindsey is concerned that there could be a series of re-breaks, where hog facilities that have already seen the disease, could get the virus again. PEDv became recognized in the US about 15 months ago and the impact the US hog industry has been devastating. Oklahoma ranks 5th nationally in total sow herd and that number is holding strong, but the state's total hog numbers are declining.
"Some of that is PEDv related, obviously we've lost I would guess some 400 - 450 thousand baby pigs in Oklahoma over the last 14 months to PED," Lindsey said.
Oklahoma is also seeing a change in the industry structure. Lindsey says producers who have finishing sites to feed hogs to market weight are converting those into sow farms for the ability to raise and later ship baby pigs to the Midwest where they are closer to corn. He says from a economic standpoint it makes more sense to ship 2,500 baby pigs rather than ship truckloads of corn to the hogs. He says having diesel fuel hitting $4 a gallon that changed the dynamics of the industry.
In having this outbreak Lindsey says its been a pretty good wake up call. He says the entire pork sector is now more aware on the need for good bio-security. Pork industry groups and the pork checkoff have invested $3 million dollars towards research addressing prevention, treatments and ways to limit the spread and impact of the disease. He says the industry is also taking a much more proactive approach in identifying the next transboundary disease, a disease that exists somewhere else in the world.
"What's the next one that might pop up here and what do we need to do to be prepared for it," Lindsey said. "Because part of being a proactive type organization is not reacting faster its actually trying to get ahead of what's there."
Lindsey says that shows one of the great lessons that has been learned through the PEDv outbreak and it shows great foresight and he believes its important to the longterm sustainability of US pork production.
You can also watch Ron Hays and Roy Lee Lindsey on Saturday morning KWTV - News9 in Oklahoma City around 6:40am.
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