South Dakota
The South Dakota Pork Industry
The South Dakota pork industry adds significant value to the agricultural economy and is a major contributor to the overall South Dakota economy. Although the size and structure of the South Dakota 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 $645.684 million in personal income, over $1.042 billion in value added, and more than 11,926 jobs in the South Dakota economy.
Total Economic Contribution
All direct, indirect, and induced economic activity supported by the South Dakota Pork Industry.
11,926
jobs supported by the pork industry
$1.04B+
value added (GDP)
$645M+
personal income generated
Hog Farms and Production
There are about 2.01 million hogs in South Dakota. The size of the South Dakota hog herd has varied over time but has trended upward from 1.32M head in 2000 to 2.01M head in 2021. As of December 2021, South Dakota farms accounted for 2.7% of the total U.S. hog inventory.
The number of South Dakota hog farms has decreased in recent years. From 1997 to 2012, the number of farms decreased from 3,027 to 681, and by 2017 South Dakota had 571 farms raising hogs.
Approximately 81% of South Dakota hogs are on farms with 5,000 or more in inventory. 14 percent of South Dakota’s hogs are on farms with 2,000 to 4,999 head, and five 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 $963.2 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 South Dakota pork industry, producing over 4.71 million market hogs in South Dakota generates over $522.457 million in feed, labor, equipment, and other production-related expenditures.
Hog Production by the Numbers
571
number of farms with hogs
4.71M+
hogs marketed annually
$963M+
cash receipts from hog sales
Feed is the largest single expenditure category in pork production. With over 4.71M market hogs produced annually, feed costs for the South Dakota industry exceed $282.894M. Other direct expenses, like energy and transportation, add over $118.5M, employee compensation totals over $56.1M, and facility-related expenses add over $64.8M.
Jobs Supported by the South Dakota Pork Industry
The direct, indirect, and induced activity generated by the South Dakota pork industry in 2021 supported a total of 11,926 jobs and over $645.684 million in personal income. South Dakota hog farms and pork processors directly employed 5,530 workers and paid over $293.2 million in total wages. This includes 895 full-time-equivalent workers at the farm level and an estimated 4,485 employees in the hog slaughter and processing sectors.
The purchases of input supplies and services in the pork industry indirectly supported 3,842 jobs and over $229.6 million in personal earnings for South Dakota workers. Beyond this, the induced impacts stemming from employee spending included 2,555 additional jobs and over $122.8 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.