“It's a commodity business, and because of that you cannot differentiate your product. So, when you produce a pig, the market says it's the same as a pig that somebody else produces. And in a commodity business, the way you increase your profits is to control costs. And that's why the pig production industry is so cost-driven.” – Dr. James Pettigrew

What you will learn

1. His thoughts on swine nutrition;
2. Pig production: key insights;
3. How to be profitable in a commodity business;
4. Insights on teaching swine professionals.

Meet the guest: Dr. James Pettigrew is a professor emeritus of animal science at the University of Illinois. His 37-year career includes 28 years at two universities (Minnesota and Illinois) separated by two highly successful positions in private industry. Dr. Pettigrew is a pioneering authority on sow nutrition and the use of modeling to estimate nutrient requirements. His research has also led to breakthroughs in understanding the influence of diet on the immune system of young pigs. Dr. Pettigrew’s highly productive research career has led to 430 invited presentations in 35 countries, 106 refereed journal articles, and 10 book chapters. His innovative contributions to the 10th edition of Nutrient Requirements of Swine had substantial effects on swine feeding worldwide. He has served on a WHO panel dealing with antimicrobial use, the ASAS Board of Directors, the ASAS and FASS committees on public policy, and as President of the Midwest Section of ASAS.

This episode was published by Lauro Faccin.