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Indiana Agribusiness Tour – Indiana Pork

2011 was a very good year for meat exports in the US – pork was no exception.  Mike Platt, Executive Director of Indiana Pork says those numbers mean very good things for Indiana’s 3,000 pork producers. 

Here are some facts about Indiana’s pork industry that you may not know (courtesy of Indiana Pork’s website): 

• The 5^th largest producer of pork in the United States. 
• Employs more than 13,000 people
• Spends more than $600 million in local rural communities
• Contributes more than $3 billion to Indiana’s economy
• The top consumer of Indiana grain (more than $300 million worth)
• Marketed  8 million pigs in 2010

Platt also spent some time talking about the HSUS-UEP deal and more recently the announcement from McDonald’s regarding their supplier’s use of gestation stalls.  He says any victory for HSUS (no matter the size) gives them more wind at their sails.  And that is cause for concern for production agriculture.

Platt tells Brownfield the pork industry is excited about their plans to take a proactive approach to telling the story of pork production in the United States with their design of a new 2,800 sow farrowing unit to be built on the grounds of Fair Oaks Farms.  Ground breaking is just around the corner with plans to open that set of farm gates to the public June 2013.

AUDIO: Mike Platt, Indiana Pork (18:48mp3)

Learn more HERE.