AMES, IOWA – As pork producers continue to deal with recent market challenges, the Iowa Pork Industry Center, based at Iowa State University, is providing producers with resources to help ensure their profitability.

Colin Johnson, extension swine specialist at Iowa State, recently said many farmers are struggling to cover production costs while earning a living. 

“Let’s face it, achieving a profit in the business has been a struggle in recent times,” Johnson said. “The pork industry is a very competitive global market and trade relations fluctuate.”

Throughout Iowa and other areas of the country, hog production operators evaluate potential decisions for farm consolidation and whether they can maintain their place in the industry. Labor and costs of health impact everyone in the pork industry regardless of the operation.

Johnson pointed out that the Pig Profit Tracker from the Iowa Pork Industry Center could be one of several resources for evaluating value and performance changes.

“Spreadsheets and other tools from the IPIC website and content from the ISU Ag Decision Maker website have seen increased use as of late,” he said. “Our tools can model the economic performance impacts that may result from changing parameters such as facility, health, genetic costs and more.”

Going beyond economic feasibility remains something that Johnson and others in the industry want to look at going forward. 

“I’ve had many discussions on the regional pig supply and site logistics as well as how barns fit in with a sustainable future for the farm as a whole,” he said. “IPIC swine specialists are available to talk through a variety of options and can aid in projecting cost inputs.”

More tools from the Iowa Pork Industry Center can be found here.