This week, the National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) released a new economic report that highlights how pig farmers in the U.S. are significant contributors to the agricultural and overall economy. The report highlights pork industry value chain contributions and growth over the past five years.
“This report underscores how the pork industry is an important pillar to the U.S. economy and the positive ripple effect it has on many other important sectors in the American supply chain,” said Holly Cook, NPPC staff economist. “From farm to fork, the combined economic contribution from hog production and pork processing supports more than 600,000 American jobs and generates $178 billion of direct, indirect and induced sales that equate to $57 billion in value-added GDP.”
Key takeaways in the report include:
- The pork industry supports 613,823 direct and indirect jobs in the U.S.
- In 2021, more than 66,000 pig farms sold more than 140 million hogs worth over $28 billion in gross cash receipts. And the number of U.S. pig farms has grown since 2012.
- Farming and processing sectors are responsible for supporting more than $35 billion in personal income and boosts economic activity in related services such as trucking, grain elevators, insurance and other rural-based businesses.
- In 2021, approximately 25% of U.S. pork was exported abroad, which equates to 7 billion pounds of pork valued at $8 billion. In addition, exports added more than $62 per head in value to each pig marketed in 2021.
- The pork industry generates significant economic activity through its purchase of inputs. Feed inputs, such as corn and soybean meal, account for an estimated 56% of total U.S. production costs.
More pork industry economic data is available at NPPC.org/The-Pork-Industry.