Texas
The Texas Pork Industry
The Texas pork industry adds significant value to the agricultural economy and is a major contributor to the overall Texas economy. Although the size and structure of the Texas 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 $392.742 million in personal income, over $605.354 million in value added, and more than 7,402 jobs in the Texas economy.
Total Economic Contribution
All direct, indirect, and induced economic activity supported by the Texas Pork Industry.
7,402
jobs supported by the pork industry
$605M+
value added (GDP)
$392M+
personal income generated
Hog Farms and Production
There are about 1.09 million hogs in Texas. The size of the Texas hog herd has varied over time but has trended upward from 920K head in 2000 to 1.09M head in 2021. As of December 2021, Texas farms accounted for 1.5% of the total U.S. hog inventory.
The number of Texas hog farms has increased in recent years. From 1997 to 2012, the number of farms raising hogs decreased from 7,431 to 4,905, but by 2017 farm numbers increased to 5,894.
Approximately 91% of Texas hogs are on farms with 5,000 or more in inventory. One percent of Texas’ hogs are on farms with 2,000 to 4,999 head, and eight 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 $360.05 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 Texas pork industry, producing over 1.84 million market hogs in Texas generates over $205.392 million in feed, labor, equipment, and other production-related expenditures.
Hog Production by the Numbers
5,894
number of farms with hogs
1.84M+
hogs marketed annually
$360M+
cash receipts from hog sales
Feed is the largest single expenditure category in pork production. With over 1.84M market hogs produced annually, feed costs for the Texas industry exceed $111.256M. Other direct expenses, like energy and transportation, add over $46.7M, employee compensation totals over $22M, and facility-related expenses add over $25.3M.
Jobs Supported by the Texas Pork Industry
The direct, indirect, and induced activity generated by the Texas pork industry in 2021 supported a total of 7,402 jobs and over $392.742 million in personal income. Texas hog farms and pork processors directly employed 3,458 workers and paid over $171.9 million in total wages. This includes 352 full-time-equivalent workers at the farm level and an estimated 3,047 employees in the hog slaughter and processing sectors.
The purchases of input supplies and services in the pork industry indirectly supported 2,227 jobs and over $130.7 million in personal earnings for Texas workers. Beyond this, the induced impacts stemming from employee spending included 1,717 additional jobs and over $90 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.