Dr. Howard Hill Inducted into NPPC Hall of Fame

What happened: Dr. Howard Hill was inducted into the NPPC Hall of Fame at the industry’s annual business meeting – the National Pork Industry Forum – held March 12-14 in Orlando, Florida.

Hill joined Murphy Farms (now part of Smithfield) in 1994 as director of veterinary services and multiplication, where he led the successful eradication of pseudorabies from the company’s North Carolina herds. He also played a key role in the development of artificial insemination practices, propelling the company’s transition to 100% artificial insemination and establishing new standards in swine production. As chief operating officer for Iowa Select Farms from 2000 to 2013, he helped shape one of the largest and most innovative pork producers in the country.

In addition to his work in veterinary practice and pork production, Hill has been a vocal advocate for the pork industry, serving as president of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians in 1996 and NPPC in 2014.

Why it matters: NPPC Hall of Fame inductees are recognized for devoting their lives to positively shaping the pork industry. They focus on critical aspects of pork production and related issues while playing a significant role in advancing NPPC’s mission to advocate for the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of U.S. pork producers and their partners.

Former Minnesota Pork Executive Director Preisler Honored

What happened: Dave Preisler, who served as executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association (MPPA) from 1994-2022, was honored with the prestigious Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award during the National Pork Industry Forum.

Preisler was honored for his lasting impact on Minnesota’s agricultural community and the pork industry at large. His ability to bridge the gap between farmers, policymakers, and industry stakeholders strengthened the pork industry nationwide.

He began his career in agriculture as a high school agriculture teacher before moving on to the University of Minnesota Extension. At MPPA, Preisler worked tirelessly to shape policy, foster innovation, and navigate industry challenges. His leadership was especially critical during the COVID-19 pandemic when disruptions threatened farmers’ livelihoods. He helped secure resources, facilitate communication, and ensure stability in the pork supply chain.

During his 28-year tenure at MPPA, Preisler also championed key initiatives, including Minnesota’s Feedlot Rules and the Ag Resources, Education, and Extension Together initiative. He continues to serve agriculture as a Le Sueur County Commissioner, remaining a steadfast advocate for rural communities.

Why it matters: The annual Paulson-Whitmore State Executive Award recognizes individuals’ dedication to strengthening their state’s pork industry and positive contributions to NPPC and NPB. Named after notable past state executives Don Paulson of Minnesota and Rex Whitmore of Wisconsin, the award underscores the vital role state organizations play in the success of the pork industry.

NPPC Installs New Officers, Elects Members to Board of Directors

What happened: NPPC installed new officers and board members to lead the organization through the 2025-2026 term at the National Pork Industry Forum.

The 2025-2026 NPPC board officers are:

• President Duane Stateler, McComb, Ohio
• President-Elect Rob Brenneman, Washington, Iowa
• Vice President Pat Hord, Bucyrus, Ohio
• Immediate Past President Lori Stevermer, Easton, Minnesota

Re-elected to the board was:

• Craig Edsill, Ambler, Pennsylvania (Packer Processor Industry Council representative)

Newly elected board members were:

• John Anderson, Belgrade, Minnesota
• Trish Cook, Winthrop, Iowa
• Jackie Bowman Ponder, Greenwood, Indiana

The new and re-elected members of the board joined current members:

• Steve Malakowsky, Wells, Minnesota (Allied Industry Director)
• Francis Forst, Lamar, Missouri
• Bob Ivey, Beaufort, North Carolina
• Todd Marotz, Sleepy Eye, Minnesota
• Dr. Jeremy Pittman, Waverly, Virgina
• Ed Reed, Three Rivers, Michigan
• Jeb Stevens, Osgood, Indiana
• Neill Westerbeek, Clinton, North Carolina

Elected to NPPC’s nominating committee for a two-year term were:

• Adam Krause, Clear Lake, South Dakota
• Jarred Lorenz, Kalamazoo, Michigan

NPPC thanks to departing board members Scott Hays, Dwight Mogler, and Russ Vering for their dedicated service.

Why it matters: The NPPC board of directors is a critical part of NPPC’s success, collaborating closely with the existing leadership team to steer NPPC toward achieving its strategic goals and enhancing membership value.

NPPC Details Trade Barriers to U.S. Pork Exports

What happened: NPPC submitted comments to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) on unfair trade practices and harm from non-reciprocal trade arrangements of other countries. USTR is reviewing foreign impediments to trade under President Trump’s America First Trade Policy and memorandum on reciprocal trade and tariffs.

NPPC provided a list of 20 countries plus the European Union, detailing their significant barriers to U.S. pork exports. Among them:

• Australia – Prohibits U.S. fresh and bone-in pork products over unfounded fears of Porcine Reproductive Respiratory Syndrome.
• China – Facility registrations for establishments and unclear processes for renewal of registration.
• EU – Requires onerous and unnecessary testing of meat imports.
• Panama – Requires facility registration for establishments that store, display, distribute, or sell meat and meat products.
• South Africa – Bans pork offal, heat-treated/canned products, and casings and requires lymph nodes to be removed from shoulder cuts.
• Taiwan – Requires country-of-origin labeling for pork.

NPPC’s take: NPPC continues to advocate for comprehensive trade agreements that eliminate tariff and non-tariff barriers to U.S. pork exports and will work with USTR and other U.S. trade officials to open new and expand existing markets to U.S. pork.

Why it matters: U.S. pork exports support more than 155,000 U.S. jobs. In any given year, the U.S. pork industry ships product to more than 100 countries, and those exports contribute significantly to the bottom line of all U.S. pork producers. In 2024, the U.S. pork industry exported 3 million metric tons of pork valued at over $8.6 billion, an amount that added the equivalent of more than $66 of value for each hog marketed. But U.S. pork exports face various tariff and non-tariff barriers in markets around the world. As a low-cost, high-quality provider of protein, significant growth in pork exports can be achieved by removing such impediments.

Supreme Court Rules Against EPA in Clean Water Act Case

What happened: In a victory for agricultural and manufacturing concerns, the U.S. Supreme Court reversed a U.S. Court of Appeals decision on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Act (CWA) regulation that could have had negative ramifications for livestock and other agricultural producers.

At issue was an EPA decision that the city of San Francisco violated its CWA National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit for failing to control pollutants in stormwater from getting into San Francisco Bay. EPA fined the city more than $66,000 a day for each violation. (The NPDES also has criminal penalties that can be imposed and allows “citizen” lawsuits.) The city has a combined sewer system that handles sewage and “receiving” water, including stormwater, but its NPDES permit isn’t specific about pollutant levels in stormwater (it sets levels for sewage).

While San Francisco’s defense might not be the first place producers would expect to find NPPC engaging, the organization filed a brief to help defend the freedom of producers to operate. EPA included impossible-to-meet terms in San Francisco’s NPDES permit, prohibiting it from impacting the water quality of the receiving waters (San Francisco Bay and Pacific Ocean). NPPC’s brief, filed along with other agricultural organizations and business associations, pointed out that NPDES provisions detail an entity’s allowable discharges, which lets an entity structure its operations accordingly. But, the groups argued, the standard that EPA was trying to impose on San Francisco was impossible for the city to meet and made the city responsible for conditions that were far outside of its control.

Why it matters: More than 330,000 entities, including thousands of livestock farmers, have an NPDES permit. Agricultural producers and business owners depend on specific effluent limitations set in those permits and the legal defense against enforcement – as long as they are in compliance with the permits – to provide a clear and predictable regulatory framework for lawfully operating their facilities.

If NPDES liability is bound to the overall quality of receiving water, rather than what a farmer can control with their actions, the groups argued producers would face difficult or impossible to meet requirements, undermining their freedom to farm.

Ag Groups Ask for Swift Approval of Lindberg

What happened: NPPC joined 121 other agricultural businesses and organizations in urging the Senate Agriculture Committee and the full Senate to quickly approve Luke Lindberg as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs.

Lindberg currently is president and CEO of South Dakota Trade, collaborating with local and regional agriculture groups to help the state’s producers and agricultural partners navigate the global trade landscape. He also serves on the board of directors of the National Association of District Export Councils and as an adviser with the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition.

Prior to those roles, he was chief of staff and chief strategy officer at the U.S. Export-Import Bank, where he managed day-to-day operations and advanced strategic trade initiatives.

Why it matters: “Given the many challenges facing America’s farmers and rural communities, it is critical that Congress act on Mr. Lindberg’s nomination in a timely manner. U.S. agriculture needs a dedicated champion in this role to support farmers and exporters as we continue to nourish the world with the most secure, affordable and nutritious food on the globe,” said the agriculture groups in a March 10 letter to Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee Chairman John Boozman (R-AR) and Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).