Pork powerhouses make gains

Monday, February 3, 2014

Of the top 25 pork-producing companies in the United States, 17 increased their number of sows in 2013, reports Successful Farming magazine in its annual report. Smithfield Foods/Shuanghui International remains far and away the largest pork producer in the United States, gaining 6,000 sows and growing to 868,000. Second-place Triumph Foods in St. Joseph, Mo., grew by 3,000 sows to 381,500. Six companies held their own and only one company managed fewer sows in 2013 than in 2012. In total, the sow gain was 132,000 over 2012 and the total number of sows managed by those 25 companies was 3,183,200.

Notes the list's compiler, executive editor Betsy Freese: 15 years ago Smithfield had 152,000 sows in the United States. Ten years ago the largest 25 producers had 2.52 million sows.

No such growth for the five big guys in Canada, which manage a total of 223,000 sows. Maple Leaf Agri-Farms in Landmark, Man., and HyLife in LaBroquerie, Man., held their own with 63,000 and 60,000 sows each. Olymel saved the bacon of insolvent Big Sky Farms of Humboldt, Sask., and it maintains 41,500 sows, while The Progressive Group of Companies, Niverville, Man., maintained 33,500 sows and ProVista Agriculture of Steinbach, Man., slipped 3,000 sows to 25,000. BP