Podcast: Bringing solutions and change to the swine industry
In this 76th episode of the Real P3 podcast, swine nutritionist Dr Casey Bradley speaks to the founder of Every Pig, Chris Bomgaars, who grew up in the swine sector and has developed an app and communication tool specifically for the industry.
Bomgaars, whose father is a veterinarian, grew up in a small town in Iowa where the community had 30,000 people but over a million pigs.
Every Pig
Having founded Every Pig, Bomgaars talks about the platform, which currently has 2,300 active users across 9 languages. “We started EveryPig because we saw an incredible opportunity to bring technology to pork producers while increasing transparency in the swine industry.”
Preparing versus responding
Many producers, he says, are looking in the rearview mirror. “They’re in an F1 race car going 200 miles an hour, but they’re not looking through the dashboard.” He originally began this platform because he says he realised that the process of reporting and data needed to be digitised so that veterinarians and producers had real-time access to barn information, see patterns, and determine any problems and health concerns quickly. “We’re trying to do is help producers to become proactive instead of reactive,” he says, explaining that an algorithm could alert the producer of a possible mortality event predicted, so preventative action can be taken quickly.
So, while a veterinarian is needed, the system goes a long way in keeping an eye on the pigs and helps to assist knowing where a crisis is looming or where a veterinarian must be prioritised.
Challenges ahead
Bradley asks Bomgaars what other big challenges or problems he sees in the industry. He discusses in detail his thoughts around the generational shift. He also notes that technology allows the industry a way to attract talent without needing that talent to live in a specific town. He also speaks about consolidation and the challenge of remaining in business.
