Farms.com Home   News

Court Ordered Line Speed Rollback Expected to Force New Pork Plant Construction

An Economist with Partners for Production Agriculture says a court ordered rollback of U.S. pork harvesting facility line speeds will force the construction of new processing plants rather than allow increased capacity through improved efficiency. The Biden Administration has until the end of August to appeal a federal court ruling which took effect June 29 striking down pork harvest facility line speeds allowed under the USDA’s New Swine Inspection System.

Dr. Steve Meyer, an Economist with Partners for Production Agriculture, explains the ruling has cut the capacity of five U.S. processing plants, four of which had been part of a 20-year pilot project, from about 13 hundred 50 hogs per hour to about 11 hundred per hour.

Clip-Dr. Steve Meyer-Partners for Production Agriculture:

If we look at that in total it cost us about two and a half percent of our slaughter capacity in the United States or about 85 thousand head per week. The danger there of course is if they get hog numbers that are high you might run into that slaughter capacity constraint. As of last summer, we had about 2.768 million head per week on a 5.4 workday week, which is the standard one that I computed on.

This would have taken us back to about 2.683 million head and, based on the March Hogs and Pigs report we were at some risk of running into that slaughter capacity constraint. The June Hogs and Pigs report with its three percent lower March-May pig crop had pulled those numbers back so I don't think there's an immediate threat to the capacity situation, of running into capacity even with these lower chain speeds but longer term it takes away some capacity and it's pretty easy capacity to add if you play by the rules and do the things that USDA found during the long pilot project.

So, still troubling even though given the projected fourth quarter slaughter I don't think it's going to be a big problem this year.

Source : Farmscape

Trending Video

Demco Dual Aguer Grain Carts — Fire Safety Systems, Right or Left-Handed Unload, and More!

Video: Demco Dual Aguer Grain Carts — Fire Safety Systems, Right or Left-Handed Unload, and More!


Demco's dual auger grain cart is designed for unloading efficiency, operator visibility, and safety in the field.

This dual-auger design features both an unload auger and a floor auger for enhanced grain cleanout and consistent flow, and the 22-inch unload auger is capable of moving up to 600 bushels per minute.

Farmers can also choose between right or left-handed unload options—right-handed unload improves visibility from the tractor cab. A new design allows both vertical and horizontal movement for precise grain placement during unloading.

Another key feature is the built-in fire safety system; a 300-gallon onboard water tank with a hose reel that provides field-ready fire suppression capability.

These dual auger grain carts are available in 1100, 1300, 1500, 1700, and 2200 bushel sizes.