Swine Marketing in South Dakota: Results of a Producer Survey

South Dakota is one of the top 10 hog production states with about 3 m111ion hogs and pigs marketed and 3.2 million hogs slaughtered in the state each year. This totals 3-4 percent of the nation\u27s hog supply. With ample supplies of available land, labor, and feed grain there is considerable potential for further growth of the South Dakota pork industry if the expansion can be based on profitable production and marketing prospects for producers. In 1980, a pork marketing study was initiated by SDSU to obtain current infonnation on: 1) Organization of hog production and marketing in South Dakota, · 2) The relative importance of specific marketing methods and market channels used by South Dakota pork producers, 3) Market movements and transportation of hogs and pigs in South Dakota. 4} South Dakota pork producers, use of cash markets, forward contracts and futures markets and reasons for using or not using each method. 5} South Dakota pork producers assessments of major factors limiting expansion of hog production on their own farm and in their local area. The major source of data is a marketing survey completed by 587 South Dakota hog and pig producers. This study was aided by the South Dakota Pork Producers Council which printed and included the survey in a March, 1980 newsletter to hog and pig producers