Matt Gent was elected president of the Iowa Pork Producers Association at the organization’s annual meeting Jan. 23 in Des Moines. Gent and his family own a farrow-to-finish swine enterprise called Prairie Pork near Wellman in southeast Iowa. They also grow corn and soybeans.

The past year has been rough on the pork industry, but despite the current price woes, he says he sees hope on the horizon.

“I look forward to representing Iowa pork producers while addressing the challenges and opportunities we face in the upcoming year,” Gent said. “Each year brings new opportunities to share our story, to strengthen our domestic and international relationships, and to share our commitment to grow rural Iowa.”

Gent served as president-elect of the Iowa Pork Producers Association in 2023. He replaces Trish Cook of Winthrop, who now holds the position of past president on the IPPA board of directors. Cook was the first female president in IPPA’s history. Gent praised Cook for her leadership during a difficult year for pork producers. Both Gent and Cook will serve one-year terms in their new roles.

Meeting challenges

“It is no secret that our industry is changing, and as an organization, we need to adapt to the needs of our producers and consumers,” Gent said. “There is no doubt we have our work cut out for us this coming year.”

He said producers are interested in product development and innovation. “We want to see what we can come up with for new products and meet consumer demand,” he added. “Today’s consumers want high-quality products that are also convenient.”

While sow numbers are down, pig numbers per litter are up. “The sow numbers that are left are high-quality and very efficient,” he said. “We need to improve hog prices and profitability and turn this situation around quickly.”

Gent joined the IPPA board in 2018. He was named a Master Pork Producer in 2015 and has served as an IPPA delegate to the National Pork Forum. At the local level, he served on the Washington County Pork Producers board of directors since 2010, including stints as president and vice president. He’s also a member of the Iowa Corn Growers Association. Gent has an ag business degree from Kirkwood Community College.

Changes on IPPA board

Other changes on the IPPA board of directors at the 2024 annual include:

The board oversees leadership and direction for all IPPA Pork Checkoff programs, public policy and general direction of the organization.

New resolutions approved

During the annual meeting, the delegates passed four resolutions to:

Source: Iowa Pork Producers Association