BROOKINGS – Bob Thaler, SDSU professor and SDSU Extension swine specialist, has been chosen for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program and will work with at the Vietnam National University of Agriculture in Hanoi January through May 2018.
As a swine specialist for SDSU, Thaler has visited Vietnam several times with the US Soybean Export Council and the US Grains Council. This country ranks number six in the world in production of pork with 2,475 thousand metric tons raised in 2016.
Working under a combination of teaching and research fellowship, Thaler will work with the Vietnamese people to share his knowledge as the country moves from backyard production to sustainable commercial enterprises. He will be a guest lecturer as well as work with officials to extend the knowledge through the countryside. Thaler’s background as an Extension swine specialist makes him uniquely suited to help extend the updated ideas to those who live away from the city. Thaler will work with those at the University to disseminate information to rural areas as a program such as the US Cooperative Extension Service doesn’t exist in the country.
“Vietnam is really a vibrant country,” Thaler said. “It has one of the youngest populations and the economy is growing rapidly. There is a lot of demand for meat and a better diet, and pork is their meat of choice. Historically, raising pigs was kind of a savings account for the family, and the pigs were fed whatever food was available, including scraps and forage. The demand for the meat is there and growing but it will take effort to change from backyard to commercial pork production. However, by doing that, the Vietnamese people will be able to produce more higher quality pork in a lot more efficient manner.
“In the U.S., we have the lowest corn and soybean prices in the world,” Thaler said. “That’s how we make our decision to feed our animals. As they import almost all soybean meal and most corn, their costs are double what we experience.”
If the country needs to import more feed, it could potentially turn to the United States to provide products. South Dakota soybeans, corn, and DDGS could be shipped on rail to the West Coast and then loaded on ships for Vietnam.
Thaler plans to write a blog about his experiences and share his work through presentations when he returns. As a member of the faculty at SDSU, Thaler said the trip will provide him an exceptional way to be immersed in the culture in a way that will benefit hi students, the University community and state when he returns.
Some of the work will look at being environmentally responsible with manure nutrient use. He’ll share his knowledge of the value of manure and how it can be applied to crops while considering water quality in the area.
Thaler’s wife Karen will accompany him, taking a sabbatical from the Brookings School District. She’ll take her seventh grade English class with her to Vietnam via the Internet. As she learns about the country, she plans on having a weekly video blog showing sites including the wet market, the war museum, Halong Bay and the Chu Chi tunnels.
Thaler is one of over 800 U.S. citizens who will work abroad for the 2017-2018 academic year through the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program. Recipients of awards are selected on the basis of academic and professional achievement as well as record of service and demonstrated leadership in their respective fields.
The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. government and is designed to build lasting connections between the people of the United States and the people of other countries. The program is funded through an annual appropriation made by the U.S. Congress to the U.S. Department of State. It was established in 1946 under legislation introduced by the late U.S. Senator J. William Fulbright of Arkansas.
