USDA conducts third national small enterprise swine study

In 2021, the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Animal Health Monitoring System, in collaboration with the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, conducted its third national study of US small enterprise swine operations. Approximately 5,000 swine operations from 38 states, accounting for about 95% of US swine operations with fewer than 1,000 pigs, were asked to participate. 

Small enterprise swine production is a growing sector of the US swine industry due to its role as a primary supplier of many niche-market products.

Objectives of the study included:

• Describe current health and production practices on small enterprise operations.
• Describe trends in swine health and disease management practices on small enterprise swine operations.
• Characterize movement, mortality, and slaughter channels on small enterprise swine operations.
• Examine differences in marketing practices and movements on small and large US swine operations.

The results of the study are now available as a dashboard. To go to the report, navigate to https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/monitoring-and-surveillance/nahms/nahms_swine_studies and scroll down to the “Swine Studies” button. This will take you to the list of reports and associated materials national swine studies have produced over the years. This dashboard can be accessed by clicking “Swine 2021 Part III: Reference of Management Practices on Small-Enterprise Swine Operations in the United States.”