CLIVE, IOWA – The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) announced the cancelation of the Iowa Pork Congress trade show, which was scheduled for Jan. 27 and 28, due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. IPPA announced the cancellation on Dec. 2. The trade show and educational sessions usually attract up to 5,000 attendees from the pork producing industry. Attendees come from Iowa and all over the Midwest.

“We are disappointed to cancel the trade show, and to postpone some other events typically held during Iowa Pork Congress,” said Mike Paustian, IPPA president and a pork producer from Walcott, Iowa. “We simply relied on our We Care Iowa core values: caring for the people in our communities and working together to solve the big issues our communities face, and today that big issue is coronavirus.”

The IPPA will hold its in-person annual meeting on Jan. 26, at the Iowa Events Center in Des Moines, Iowa.

“We have worked closely with the Iowa Events Center staff in planning this required in-person event so that social distancing can be maintained throughout the day,” Paustian said.

The Master Pork Producers Awards program and the announcement of the 2021 Iowa Pork Youth Leadership Team will take place as seated events and held in rooms that allow social distancing. There will be online streaming for those who choose to participate remotely.

Educational seminars and the Iowa Pork Foundation Auction will both move to virtual formats. As more details on that programming becomes available, the information will be posted on IowaPorkCongress.org.

The Taste of Elegance dinner event that usually kicks off the Iowa Pork Congress and the youth swine judging contest that ends it have both been postponed until later in 2021. The next show is scheduled for Jan. 26-27, 2022.