Characteristics and Production Costs of U.S. Hog Farms, 2004

40 Pages Posted: 17 Jan 2008

See all articles by William D. McBride

William D. McBride

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS)

Nigel Key

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS)

Date Written: December 2007

Abstract

Hog production in 2004 was characterized by wide variation in the types, sizes, and economic performance of operations. Operations specializing in a single production phase generated more than three times the product value, on average, of those using the traditional farrow-to-finish approach. Low-cost operations tended to be larger, located in the Heartland, and operated by farmers whose primary occupation was farming. Small and medium operations far outnumbered large and very large operations, but large and very large operations accounted for most of the production. Average production costs declined as the size of the hog operation increased, a result of reduced capital costs and more efficient input use. Hog production was highly concentrated in the Heartland, but the largest operations were specialized hog finishing units in the Southern Seaboard.

Keywords: Agriculture, swine, hogs, hog production, hog operations, Agricultural Resource Management Survey, production costs, economies of size

Suggested Citation

McBride, William D. and Key, Nigel, Characteristics and Production Costs of U.S. Hog Farms, 2004 (December 2007). USDA-ERS Economic Information Bulletin No. 32, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1084904 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1084904

William D. McBride (Contact Author)

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS) ( email )

355 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024-3221
United States
(202) 694-5577 (Phone)

Nigel Key

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - Economic Research Service (ERS) ( email )

355 E Street, SW
Washington, DC 20024-3221
United States
(202) 694-5567 (Phone)

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