Introduction to Swine

1. Introduction to Swine

2. # of Pigs • In the past 30 years the # of swine operations in the US has declined by almost 90% but the # of hogs slaughtered has increased. • WHY? Producers have become more efficient and because the size of operations has increased dramatically. • In 1970, 871,000 people produced hogs today only 81,000

3. Who said pigs were important? • Each year, producers raise almost 100 million hogs that yield over 19 billion pounds of pork. • These 100 million plus hogs produce over 600,000 jobs in the US alone. • They also create $72 billon for our economy.

4. How much pork do you eat? • Pork is the most widely eaten meat in the world. • Worldwide the US ranks 3rd in hog production. • We rank 7th in consumption of pork with the average American eating 67.2 lbs of pork a year. • The Czech Republic leads the world with 127 lbs consumed per person annually.

5. Where did all these pigs come from? • Columbus brought pigs on his first voyage to the new world as food for the sailors. • It has been reported that he brought 13 head and in less than 3 years those 13 pigs turned into 700+ head.

6. Lard….. • Fat from animals…..particularly pigs • Used in cooking • One of the central ingredients in soap • Until about 1950, lard was the prime reason hogs were raised.

7. Interesting….. • It has been said that hogs have sent more farm youngsters to college than any other enterprise.