Iowa farmers are in position to make some money in the livestock industry this year, but there are challenges, an economist said last week.

Disease and demand are still risks to the livestock in­­dustry, said Steve Meyer, vice president of pork analysis for EMI Analytics told farmers last week in Calmar at the "Growing Iowa’s Livestock: What Farmers Need to Know" meeting hosted by the Iowa Farm Bureau. The meeting in Calmar was one of three sessions hosted by the Iowa Farm Bureau and the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers (CSIF).

Protein demand has been growing since 2010, Meyer noted. Ex­­penditures for...