Kansas State University will co-host a conference that aims to provide the most current information on sow, litter, weaned pig and grow-finish mortality.
University officials said the International Conference on Pig Survivability is planned for Oct. 27 to 28 in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Hilton Omaha.
“By featuring presentations and panel discussions from industry leaders and scientific experts, we want to bring the industry together to motivate change,” said Joel DeRouchey, a swine specialist with K-State Research and Extension. “We want attendees to walk away with a sense of urgency toward the issue of mortality and some practical ideas of what to do about it.”
Jason Ross, director of the Iowa Pork Center, said “the conference will feature speakers from an array of swine-related businesses and organizations that will discuss relevant, take-home messages to impact swine survivability.”
Registration for the conference is now open at bit.ly/PigSurvivabilityConference. Early bird registration of $200 ends Oct. 1; after that, registration will cost $300. There is a reduced registration rate for students.
The event is being hosted by K-State, Iowa State University and Purdue University. A complete schedule and lodging information is available online.
The International Conference on Pig Survivability is part of the Improving Pig Survivability project, a five-year, interdisciplinary and multi-university project funded by the National Pork Board and Foundation for Food and Agriculture. The group aims to reduce mortality in the U.S. swine industry by 1% or more per year of the project.