SDSU swine research gets $1.2M to expand facility

Sep 02, 2024

South Dakota State University will expand its Swine Education and Research Facility with a $1.2 million grant from the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council.

The school will build two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms at the existing complex, built in 20216t. It will double the facility’s research capabilities.

“Pork producers are a valued partner of corn farmers, and underpinning that demand for corn is the need to always improve research capabilities," South Dakota Corn Utilization Council President Jim Ketelhut said in a news release. "This gift enables SDSU’s swine program to take a tremendous step forward, and we are pleased to help support fellow producers in this manner.”

SDSU President Barry Dunn said the project wouldn't be possible without the gift.

"The Swine Education and Research Facility has become a vital part of the swine industry in South Dakota and has helped establish SDSU as a leader in swine teaching and research," Dunn said. "This expansion will allow SDSU to continue to attract the brightest students from around the country who will become the next generation of industry leaders and innovators.”

Adam Krause, president of the South Dakota Pork Producers thanked the corn council on behalf of pig farmers.

"The SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility is a testament of what happens when the entire ag industry supports each other so innovation and education can take place,” he said.

The facility has been a big benefit to students, said Joe Cassady, dean of the ag college.

"Its expansion is only going to continue to have a positive impact on the swine industry in our region," he said.

The project bolster's SDSU's reputation as a leader in the swine industry research in nutrition and management, according to extension swine specialist Bob Thaler

"Livestock production was the initial 'value-added' for corn, grains and soybeans, and it continues to utilize a very significant amount of these products every day," he said. "The addition of these research rooms will help us further increase demand for corn and other locally produced feedstuffs. Also, from a sustainability standpoint, nothing is more environmentally friendly than the symbiotic relationship between crops and livestock production.”

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