Grant: Advancing U.S. Pork Sustainability and Market Value

Jan 09, 2023

$20 million grant available to Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri pork producers to advance climate-smart agriculture practices.

In September 2022, the Advancing U.S. Pork Sustainability and Market Value grant submitted by National Pork Board (NPB) and six collaborating organizations was awarded $20 million through USDA’s Partnership for Climate Smart Commodities program.

The grant program is designed to increase the sustainability of U.S. pork products by advancing climate-smart agriculture practices in Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri.

Grant Supports Climate-Smart On-Farm Practices
The grant will support the completion of We Care® on-farm reports by pork producers in three states, and it will incentivize the adoption of climate-smart practices that are recommended through the reporting process.

No two farms are the same, so the project team will look to implement practices tailored to growers’ needs and report progress toward meaningful climate benefits.

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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.