Purebred Vietnamese Pot-bellied pigs on a farm in the Kyiv region in August. Photo: Maxym Marusenko/NurPhoto via Getty Images
An Iowa State professor is virtually teaching Ukrainian grain farmers how to use their excess product to raise hogs.
Why it matters: Russia's invasion of Ukraine has disrupted the supply chain for the "bread basket" of the world, leaving its farmers with a surplus of grain.
- Iowa State professor Justin Brown is teaching Ukrainian them how to use their extra grain as feed to raise hogs, as meat production is more profitable, he tells Axios.
- The program is funded by the USDA.
How it works: Brown is partnering with the Association of Ukrainian Pig Breeders, which translates his live webinars, Q&A sessions and slides into Ukrainian for up to 80 attendees.
- He wakes up around 4am to prepare for the 5am sessions, around lunchtime in Ukraine.
What they're saying: "A pig's a pig, is a pig. It doesn't matter where it is, but everybody starts somewhere with their knowledge base," Brown says.
What's next: The sessions, which started in April, end on Sept. 27.
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