Biggest American producers add more sows in 2012

Monday, December 3, 2012

The top 25 pork producing farms in the United States added nearly 62,000 sows last year, according to Successful Farming magazine's annual pork farm ranking.

Smithfield Foods remains the largest with 862,000 sows, up from slightly less than 838,000 in 2011. Second place Triumph Foods increased production slightly to 378,500. Seaboard Foods held its own with 217,000, while in fourth place The Maschoffs gained 4,000 sows to total 196,000. In all, the top 25 farms held 3,038,800 sows, up from 2,976,982 in 2011.

The trend is a little different in Western Canada. The acquisition of troubled The Puratone Corporation, based in Winkler, Man., (and 28,000 sows) by Maple Leaf Agri-Farms creates a new leader on the Prairies with 63,000 sows, ahead of HyLife, based in LaBroquerie, Man., with its 60,000 sows. Big Sky Farms, in Humboldt, Sask., with 41,500 sows was in receivership. When Successful Farming updated its top five list, The Progressive Group of Companies at Niverville, Man. was in fourth place with 33,500 sows. That company hadn't been mentioned previously. Pro Vista Agriculture, at Steinbach, Man., remains in fifth place with 28,000 sows. So the top five companies have 226,000 sows up from 198,500 in 2011. BP