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Farm Progress America, September 25, 2023

Mike Pearson tells us the latest cattle herd numbers collected by the USDA.

The USDA released the latest Cattle on Feed report Sept. 22. The news was not surprising but it did send higher cattle prices through trading.

The size of the nation's beef herd was down again from 2022 by 2.2 percent at 11.1 million head on feed. This means the record prices for cattle and beef in grocery stores will be staying.

The cattle on feed was lower than the previous reports but so were the number of feedlot placements which is also tracked in the report.

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What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?


?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.