IFBF Summit to examine meat supply chain

Less than one month remains to register for the Iowa Farm Bureau 2024 Economic Summit, featuring a top-notch lineup of nationally-recognized speakers to help farmers navigate tumultuous market conditions. The summit will be held June 14 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.

In addition to high level overviews of global and agricultural market conditions, the summit will take deep dives into topics such as current trade, livestock and grain market circumstances.

One of the most anticipated sessions is a meat supply chain panel that will offer exclusive insights on livestock and meat topics from the feedlot through the processor and the retail levels, said Iowa Farm Bureau economist Christopher Pudenz. Panelists include Don Gales, chairman and CEO of Friona Industries, which has eight feedyards in Kansas and Texas; Karl Skold, head of agricultural economics for meat processor JBS; and Jason Pride, vice president of meat and seafood for Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee.

"This panel will cover the meat supply chain from end to end. With everything the U.S. hog and cattle industry has gone through these past several years, there will be no shortage of things to talk about," said Pudenz.

"I'm especially excited to hear from Jason Pride from Hy-Vee regarding his insights on consumer trends and how inflation has impacted purchases at the retail counter. In meat supply chains, the value ultimately comes from when the consumer buys the product, and that value trickles back up the supply chain."

The summit will also feature keynote speaker Austan Goolsbee, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago; Fulcrum Macro founder Frank Kelly; agriculture staff from the Embassy of Mexico; an ag lending/real estate panel; and University of Minnesota grain marketing economist Ed Usset.

Registration for the conference is $40 for Iowa Farm Bureau members and $200 for nonmembers, which includes a June 13 evening welcome reception. A block of hotel rooms is available at a discounted rate through May 13 for conference attendees.

To see the full agenda and to register, go online to IowaFarmBureau.com/EconomicSummit.

Registrations are due May 31. Space is filling up quickly, so early registrations are encouraged, Pudenz said.