IARN — The new president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association is a second-generation pig farmer from Essex.
Dennis Liljedahl succeeds Mike Paustian as president of IPPA, a change in leadership which came during the organization’s yearly annual meeting on January 26th. Paustian now holds the past president position on the IPPA Board of Directors. Both will serve one-year terms in their respective roles. In a Tuesday morning interview with the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network, Liljedahl said he’s excited to help lead the association in 2021.
“It’s an honor to represent IPPA this coming year,” Liljedahl said. “We’re really looking forward to getting back to somewhat of a normal schedule. Hopefully, we don’t have as many disruptions as we did this past year. Of course, our ultimate goal is always profitable producers.”
“With African Swine Fever being in the news and being a big threat, that’s one of our goals is to continue working on that,” Liljedahl said. “We see the disruptions that COVID presented. Foreign animal disease would provide the same disruptions and probably more.”
Liljedahl adds the association will also seek expanded export market opportunities after a record-breaking year for U.S. pork exports. In 2020, U.S. pork exports reached nearly 3 million metric tons, topping the 2019 record by 11 percent.
“China imported a lot of pork, but they probably aren’t going to continue,” Liljedahl said. “They are trying to build their own herd back up. We want to go back to that diversification message. In a couple weeks we have a virtual trade mission with the U.S. Meat Export Federation to make some of those connections with Japanese companies. Since we can’t be in-person, we at least want to keep those relationships active.”
Iowa is the number one pork producing state in the U.S. and the top state for pork exports. With more than 5,400 pig farms, nearly one-third of the nation’s hogs are raised in Iowa.
Liljedahl has been a member of the IPPA Board of Directors since 2016, when he was elected by pig farmers in his area to represent them as the District 5 Director. He became a member of the executive committee in 2018. He has served on several IPPA committees and has been chairman of two – the public relations and research committees. He has also represented IPPA on two Iowa trade missions, one to China in 2017 and one to South Korea and Taiwan in 2019.
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network
Pictured: Dennis Liljedahl, President of Iowa Pork Producers Association – Photo by IPPA
