When pork producers stream into Des Moines next week they'll have plenty of opportunities to improve their business and herd management skills. Set for June 6 to 8, the eight seminars offered will be available June 6 and 7, and organizers are also offering an interesting highlight: free business-seminar luncheons featuring speakers looking at weather and economic outlooks.

The seminars, and luncheons, will be in the Varied Industries Building at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

ON DISPLAY: While pigs are on parade at World Pork Expo, producers can also learn plenty at business-focused seminars.

In a press statement announcing the seminars, R.C. Hunt, president, National Pork Producers Council, comments: "The best advice I can share regarding World Pork Expo is to carve out more than just one day to take it all in. Before and after continuing your education at business seminars, you'll see the very latest technology on display at the trade show. Add in great food and hospitality, and you'll have a first-rate experience along with outstanding ideas to take back home."

Here are some highlights of the seminars to be offered:

Starting at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Merck Animal Health will sponsor a series of presentations about factors that affect vaccination results, tips for medicating groups of pigs and deworming options. The speakers include three veterinarians who are technical services managers for Merck Animal Health: Tim Kniffen, Jack Creel and Jamie Lehman.

Wednesday afternoon, sponsors Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC and Zinpro Corporation will offer a sow nutrition forum that looks at how to make weaning 30 pigs per sow each year a reality. Gawain Willis, Ph.D., director of nutritional services for Land O’Lakes Purina Feed, will lead a panel discussion including pork producers and nutritionists starting at 3 p.m.

Thursday’s seminars will begin at 9:30 a.m. with a presentation, “Improve your manure from the pit up,” that’s sponsored by SFP. Dave Schwartz, vice president of sales and business development for SFP, will talk about on-farm research that looks at phosphorus and nitrogen availability of manure applied as fertilizer.

Cargill will sponsor a series of three seminars Thursday, starting at 1 p.m. with nutritionist Kevin Touchette, Ph.D., Cargill, presenting ways to manage your nutrition strategy to stay competitive. Nutritionist Douglas R. Cook, Ph.D., Akey, will share research about managing performance with quality-challenged grain, followed by Terry Mahoney, marketing representative, Cargill, presenting new marketing tools for managing price risk.

A free business-seminar luncheon will be offered on both Wednesday and Thursday at noon in the upper level of the Varied Industries Building, courtesy of the Pork Checkoff. The luncheon program will begin at 12:30 p.m. with Elwynn Taylor, Ph.D., Iowa State University, talking about the weather outlook , followed by Steve Meyer, M.S., Paragon Economics, presenting a perspective on the economic outlook.

Check out the World Pork Expo website - www.worldpork.org - for more information.