COLUMBUS, Ohio – Swine health, opportunities and safeguards are key topics to be discussed at this year’s Ohio Pork Congress gathering in Columbus.

The 2021 Ohio Pork Congress will take place Feb. 9-10 at the Crown Plaza North. The Ohio Pork Council is hosting this event in-person for a limited number of participants, with live-streaming available for those who choose not to attend in person.

New for 2021, the council will host the Swine Health Symposium, which is typically held in March. It will be Feb. 10 at this year’s Ohio Pork Congress.

Atop the list of key messages during this two-day event will be the National Pork Board’s recent unveiling of AgView, a new tool designed to help protect the industry from foreign animal disease (FAD) fallout.

AgView was unveiled in November. This web-based tool will allow participating producers to easily share their farm’s FAD status updates and pig movement data with state animal health officials.

“This opt-in, no-fee technology (funded by Pork Checkoff) will allow for contact-tracing of infected animals to help rapidly contain or regionalize a potential FAD outbreak,” said Pork Board CEO Bill Even. “When pork producers adopt AgView, they are not only helping protect their farms, but also the entire industry. COVID has taught us the best way to quickly contain and recover from a significant supply chain disruption is through real-time information, collaboration and a common data set to inform decision making.”

Nathan Gordon, of Accenture Industry X, and Dr. Dave Pyburn, National Pork Board chief veterinarian, will lead a discussion on AgView. “While local and state reporting protocols already are in place, there is no nationwide repository for this data and no mechanism for real-time sharing,” Pyburn said. “Time is money in an FAD response, which is why we’re discussing the importance of AgView.”

The discussion on AgView will be on opening day at 2:20 p.m.

On day one of this event (Feb. 9), the programming will start with a discussion on Secure Pork Supply. Veterinarians Terri Specht, of Heimerl Farms, and Jess Higgins, of Kalmbach Feeds, will lead this talk, which addresses the projection of farm-level changes.

Bill Minton, DVM with Four Star Veterinary Service, will discuss individual sow care and lameness while Dr. Megan Niederwerder, of Kansas State University, will discuss the role of the gut microbiome in reducing antimicrobial use.

A rapid-fire disease update session will be held with a three-veterinarian panel. Speakers and their topic include Michelle Michalak, of the Maria Stein Animal Clinic (M. Hyorhinis), Dwain Guggenbiller, of Phibro Animal Health (Strep Suis and PRRS), and Andy Bowman, OSU Veterinary Preventive Medicine (Flu).

Dr. Tony Forshey will provide an Ohio Department of Agriculture update while Cheryl Day, of the Ohio Pork Council, will conduct a question and answer session and provide an update from the council.

On Feb. 10, the program will feature nationally recognized experts on pork production. Attendees may Bill Even and Neil Dierks, of the National Pork Producers Council, during a one-hour “coffee session.”

Niederwerder will provide a foreign animal disease update while Shane Johnson, of Hurley & Associates, will provide an economic update of the industry.

Dr. Steve Moeller and Dr. Andy Bowman, of The Ohio State University will address the importance of planning for unforeseen depopulation events and how Ohio can prepare itself for such turbulent events. Katie Morrison and Melanie Lower Langley, of Fine Swine LLC, will discuss employee onboarding and engagement.

The event will conclude with the awards luncheon. Keynote speaker will be Damian Mason – businessman, agriculturist, podcaster, author and consultant.

Exhibitors will also have the opportunity to visit vendors in the trade show area both days.

Virtual attendance (which includes streaming access to the Swine Health Symposium, Ohio Pork Congress and annual awards presentation) is $25.

Two-day event access (which includes admission to the Swine Health Symposium, reception, PAC Auction, Ohio Pork Congress, trade show and annual awards presentation) is $50. The cost to attend Tuesday only is $25, while Wednesday-only attendance is $35.

For tickets, visit https://ohiopork.org/porkcongress.