The number of farms operating in the United States declined by approximately 15,000 in 2025, continuing a decades-long trend of consolidation across American agriculture.
The latest federal data show the total number of farms falling again year over year, reflecting ongoing structural shifts driven by economic pressure, rising input costs, labor challenges, succession concerns, and efficiency gains through technology and scale.
A Long-Term Trend, Not a One-Year Event
Farm consolidation is not new. The U.S. has seen a steady reduction in farm numbers for decades as:
- Smaller operations exit the industry
- Larger operations expand acreage or livestock capacity
- Efficiency improvements allow more output with fewer operators
While total farm numbers have declined, overall production levels across many commodities — including pork — have remained steady or increased due to improvements in genetics, nutrition, housing systems, and management.
What This Means for the Swine Industry
For pork producers, the continued reduction in total farm numbers reinforces several key realities:
1. Scale and Efficiency Matter
Modern swine production increasingly requires capital investment in biosecurity, environmental systems, and labor management. Larger, integrated or contract models often have more flexibility to absorb volatility.
Click here to see more...