Premium Iowa Pork submits highest bid for Hylife

Jun 05, 2023

Premium Iowa Pork submitted the highest bid of $13 million for the Hylife Foods pork plant in Windom, Minn., during the planned bankruptcy auction held last week. Premium Iowa Pork, based in Hospers, Iowa, and Premium Minnesota Pork, located in Luvern, Minn., together produce a majority of the 3% of crate-free, antibiotic-free pork in the U.S.

While a company spokesperson confirmed the sale on Friday to the Star Tribune, the deal was not expected to be finalized until this week.

The Star Tribune also reported Friday that Premium Iowa Pork does not plan to retain the 1,000-plus employees that had previously worked at the plant. Approximately half of the employees are here in the U.S. on H-2B visas and will have to leave within 10 days of their employment ending at HyLife.

Meanwhile, the Star Tribune reported that a federal judge had approved an agreement between Hylife and South Dakota- based AgriSwine Alliance for the sale of 20,000 finisher hogs at a price $60.00/head, or $1.3 million. The company was reportedly already raising the hogs and was the sole bidder.

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Video: What It Takes to Stop African Swine Fever - Dr. Jishu Shi

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Jishu Shi, Professor of Vaccine Immunology at Kansas State University, discusses African swine fever prevention and vaccine development. He explains why ASF differs from classical swine fever and swine influenza, how the disease threatens trade and pork production, why immunization safety remains a critical hurdle, and what producers can do now to reduce the risk of introduction. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Before a safe and efficacious vaccine for ASF can be commercialized, what we really have is prevention."

Meet the guest: Dr. Jishu Shi is Professor of Vaccine Immunology and the Dr. Wayne & Hilda Appleton Endowed Professor at Kansas State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine. He directs the Center on Biologics Development and Evaluation and the U.S.-China Center for Animal Health. A veterinarian and vaccine immunologist, Dr. Shi has focused on vaccines for pigs and has worked on African swine fever vaccine development, control, diagnostics, and international training since 2018. Learn more from Dr. Jishu Shi on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.