Nebraska's Farm Bureau Federation wants the U.S. government to consider making large additional purchases of pork to help the industry which has been hurt by the recent swine flu news and low prices.

The Farm Bureau's Keith Olsen says the government could use the additional meat in its nutrition programs.

The swine flu cannot be spread by eating pork, but the outbreak of illnesses has hurt demand for pork. Farm Bureau economists estimate that producers may be losing roughly $32 per pig currently.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Nebraska ranks sixth highest among the states in hog production. More than 3.4 million pigs are raised in the state.