Farmscape for April 16, 2021

The National Pork Producers Council reports the vast majority of U.S. pork producers are opting to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and encouraging employees and fellow producers to get vaccinated as well.
As part of its Legislative Action Conference, members of the National Pork Producers Council spent the past week meeting virtually with the nation's lawmakers to discuss priority issues for the pork sector.
Among the topics discussed during a conference call with reporters yesterday was the pork sector’s position on COVID vaccinations and the level of uptake among producers.
National Pork Producers Council CEO Neil Dierks says, the NPPC has been actively promoting COVID vaccination and, while no one knows for sure the percentage of pork producers who are opting for vaccination, anecdotally, it appears producers are choosing to be protected.

Clip- Neil Dierks-National Pork Producers Council:
I will tell you the sense that I have, and I talk to a lot producers, is that producers are getting vaccinated.
I am trying to think, but I don't recall any significant push back by a producer about not getting vaccinated and part of that I think is the culture of our industry.
Our producers are used to dealing with animal health and they understand the importance of vaccines.
I'm sure that there are some producers that will not want to be vaccinated but more often than not, when I talk to a producer, I get comments like I just had my second booster or I am getting vaccinated this day, so just a perspective.

The National Pork Producers Council has been encouraging vaccination through a social media campaign which states, "You're essential so it's essential, USDA has been active on that front as well and information is being provided to producers and their employees as to where vaccines are available.
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Bruce Cochrane.

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