Ohio
The Ohio Pork Industry
The Ohio pork industry adds significant value to the agricultural economy and is a major contributor to the overall Ohio economy. Although the size and structure of the Ohio pork industry has changed over time, current levels of production continue to support jobs and generate earnings in the state economy. In 2021, the sales generated from hog marketings and pork processing supported a total economic contribution of over $878.532 million in personal income, over $1.370 billion in value added, and more than 16,743 jobs in the Ohio economy.
Total Economic Contribution
All direct, indirect, and induced economic activity supported by the Ohio Pork Industry.
16,743
jobs supported by the pork industry
$1.37B+
value added (GDP)
$878M+
personal income generated
Hog Farms and Production
There are about 2.75 million hogs in Ohio. The size of the Ohio hog herd has varied over time but has trended upward from 1.49M head in 2000 to 2.75M head in 2021. As of December 2021, Ohio farms accounted for 3.7% of the total U.S. hog inventory.
The number of Ohio hog farms has decreased slightly in recent years. From 1997 to 2012, the number of farms decreased from 6,637 to 3,494, and by 2017 Ohio had 3,484 farms raising hogs.
Approximately 47% of Ohio hogs are on farms with 5,000 or more in inventory. 42 percent of Ohio’s hogs are on farms with 2,000 to 4,999 head, and 11 percent are on farms with less than 2,000 head.
Hog Production Costs and Returns
In 2021, hog sales (including market hogs, sows, and feeder pigs) totaled $933.1 million. In addition to these farm-level effects, the pork industry supports other industries by purchasing inputs, supplies, and services. Based on long-run prices and aggregated production budgets for the Ohio pork industry, producing over 4.84 million market hogs in Ohio generates over $750.375 million in feed, labor, equipment, and other production-related expenditures.
Hog Production by the Numbers
3,484
number of farms with hogs
4.84M+
hogs marketed annually
$933M+
cash receipts from hog sales
Feed is the largest single expenditure category in pork production. With over 4.84M market hogs produced annually, feed costs for the Ohio industry exceed $428.365M. Other direct expenses, like energy and transportation, add over $159.6M, employee compensation totals over $70.9M, and facility-related expenses add over $91.3M.
Jobs Supported by the Ohio Pork Industry
The direct, indirect, and induced activity generated by the Ohio pork industry in 2021 supported a total of 16,743 jobs and over $878.532 million in personal income. Ohio hog farms and pork processors directly employed 7,063 workers and paid over $382.4 million in total wages. This includes 1,184 full-time-equivalent workers at the farm level and an estimated 5,681 employees in the hog slaughter and processing sectors.
The purchases of input supplies and services in the pork industry indirectly supported 5,675 jobs and over $296.4 million in personal earnings for Ohio workers. Beyond this, the induced impacts stemming from employee spending included 4,005 additional jobs and over $199.6 million in personal income earned. Many of these jobs were within the agriculture and manufacturing industries, as well as industries like trucking, finance, insurance, real estate, trade, and other service sectors.