Pork Producers Consider Change to Committee Structure
Group aiming to streamline committees from 11 to eight.
Compiled by staff
Published: Nov 12, 2010
Next week the National Pork Board will be asked to streamline its organization reducing the number of pork producer-let committees from 11 to eight. A task force - appointed last spring - will deliver a report that looks at the current committee structure and makes recommendations for change.
The reduction in committees would come from combining two committees that focus on producer services, education and communications and two others that focus on nutrition and pork safety. In addition, the task force recommends that a committee focusing on niche marketing become a subcommittee of the merged producer group and that the boad assure that producers who specialize in providing products for niche markets be included on all board committees.
"Creating a task force to study our committee process was one of the recommendations in our new five-year strategic plan," said Gene Nemechek, a swine veterinarian from Springdale, Ark., and president of the National Pork Board. "The task force recognized the importance of the work that producer-led committees do. They provide valuable expertise in areas the board, as a whole, might not possess. But the task force also found that there was some overlap between committees, prompting its recommendations on reorganization."
If the board accepts the task force report, the committees advising the board will focus on: domestic marketing; producer education and services; environment; animal well-being; animal science; swine health; trade; and pork safety and nutrition. Two other task forces appointed at the same time by the board have not concluded their work. Board members will meet on Tuesday afternoon with the task force studying how the National Pork Board might better serve the needs of state pork organizations. It also will receive a progress report from the task force focusing on National Pork Board research objectives.
The board will also approve the 2011 program budget, first presented in September. The new budget calls for spending about $46 million of Pork Checkoff revenue to create marketing and promotion programs. The aim is to create new excitement for pork and to help consumers better understand modern agriculture.
In addition the board will also hear a report on plans to recognize the 25th anniversary of the checkoff; discuss a new vulnerabilities assessment to guide the board on issues management in 2011, receive a progress report on work being done to reposition pork in the marketplace, receiving training in social media and begin planning the 2011 Pork Industry Forum.
Meetings of the National Pork Board are open to the public. Those wishing to attend are asked to contact Lorraine Garner, lgarner@pork.org, (515) 223-2600.
Permalink: Click here
Tagged: checkoff
|