Oklahoma State University Agriculture’s Dean’s Dialogue series continued on May 19, hosting David Newman, chief executive officer for the National Pork Board.
Dean’s Dialogue launched in 2023 as a platform for agricultural leaders to share perspectives and focus on essential conversations in the industry.
Jayson Lusk, vice president and dean of OSU Agriculture, sat down with Newman to discuss the pork industry and its future. Newman currently leads the Pork Checkoff-funded promotion, research and education projects on behalf of the nation’s 60,000 pork producers.
“It was a privilege to bring David onto campus and hear his perspectives,” Lusk said. “Learning from David about current trends in the pork industry and how technology is intertwined into their work was fascinating. His insights on consumer habits and perception were valuable for students, faculty and staff.”
The pair discussed a handful of topics, including current trends in the pork industry, the impact artificial intelligence could have and the public perception of pork during the hour-long talk.
Newman, a third-generation pig farmer, worked as a professor at North Dakota State University and Arkansas State University, where he led meat science and swine research, before joining the National Pork Board.
Before becoming CEO, Newman led the National Pork Board’s market growth team on projects related to international and domestic demand, health and nutrition.
“It’s humbling to be able to work for producers,” Newman said. “It’s been a fun ride.”
Several trends in the pork industry excite Newman. Current consumer trends suggest people are seeking ways to incorporate more protein into their diets, which Newman sees as a massive opportunity for the industry.
“If you think about affordable, nutrient-dense protein, pork’s at the top of that list,” Newman said. “It’s an exciting time to be in the business.”
He also pointed to international sales. In 1995, the United States was a net importer of pork products. The following year, the U.S. became a net exporter and has grown steadily over the past three decades.
Newman is also excited for future technological advances in the industry. The ability to measure everything, from water flow to feed consumption, has progressed rapidly over the past 25 years and continues to improve efficiency for producers.
“All the classic measurements that animal scientists would think about, and our ability now to quantify and measure, our ability to market our animals better,” Newman said. “We’re able to pick up on disease metrics earlier. Swine health is the biggest challenge in the business today.”
The efficiency is also improving with artificial intelligence. Newman told a story about how, after the organization implemented an enterprise-wide artificial intelligence to help analyze research faster, the IT department was asked to speak at a conference about how the tool was being utilized.
“The way that’s going to get embedded now, and who the future leader is going to be in some of those areas fascinates me,” Newman said.
He closed the conversation discussing academia and outreach efforts. At North Dakota State University, Newman served as a state swine Extension specialist and professor and spoke about the importance of that work today.
“When I think about the value of Extension, I still say these basic on-farm protocols, the things we’ve been teaching for 20-30 years, they are more relevant now than they have ever been because the whole world is paying attention,” Newman said.
To watch the event in its entirety, please view the Dean’s Dialogue video.
OSU Agriculture is dedicated to improvingthe quality of life of Oklahomans through science-based information and education. It is comprised of the Ferguson College of Agriculture and two state agencies: OSU Ag Research and OSU Extension.
