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In Betsy Freese’s 2018 ranking, the 40 largest U.S. pig producers added a combined 192,980 sows over the preceding year, bringing their reported total above 4.2 million—about two thirds of the U.S. breeding herd, according to the article. Smithfield led with 950,000 sows and Seaboard Foods ranked second with 340,000. The industry’s expansion came with serious risks: producers interviewed cited labor as their leading concern, alongside trade retaliation, weak prices, disease, litigation and the challenge of matching hog supply to new processing capacity.
These are historical figures and concerns from a report published September 30, 2018, not a current ranking or description of present-day company arrangements.
How the 2018 ranking measured producer scale
Freese’s annual ranking covered the 40 largest U.S. pig producers. The sow counts were supplied directly by the companies, so they should be read as company-reported figures compiled for the article—not as a government census or independently audited totals. Freese said she had compiled the ranking since 1994. Source: Betsy Freese, Agriculture.com / Successful Farming, September 30, 2018.
The list was stable compared with the previous year: 22 producers increased sow numbers, 13 were unchanged and five decreased. No companies entered or left the top 40 in 2018.
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Who was expanding—and by how much?
The largest additions show how growth was concentrated among a mix of major integrated companies and producer systems. The amounts below are sow additions reported for the year preceding the 2018 article.
| Producer | Reported sow additions |
|---|---|
| Smithfield Foods | 40,000 |
| Iowa Select Farms | 28,000 |
| The Hanor Company | 20,000 |
| AMVC Management Services | 18,000 |
| Tyson Foods | 16,000 |
| Seaboard Foods | 15,000 |
| Pipestone System | 11,000 |
| Reicks View Family | 10,000 |
Smithfield’s reported additions contributed to a 950,000-sow U.S. total, the largest in the ranking. Freese tied its broader inventory growth to supplying processing plants and expansion related to its January 2017 acquisition of Clougherty Packing, known for the Farmer John brand. Seaboard Foods’ 340,000 sows placed it second; its growth was linked to supplying the Seaboard Triumph Foods plant.
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Other 2018 figures illustrate the scale and variety of changes. Iowa Select Farms reported 235,000 sows, while Pipestone System reported 251,000. The Maschhoffs had 204,000 after a reported decline of 14,000; Christensen Farms had 142,500; AMVC Management Services had 135,500; and The Hanor Company had 100,000.
Why processing capacity shaped expansion
The report presents sow growth as closely connected to where hogs could be processed and how producers supplied plants. Seaboard Foods had added 123,000 sows over three years, mostly through acquisition, while growing to supply Seaboard Triumph Foods. Freese reported that Seaboard Foods and Triumph Foods each owned half of the venture. Its Sioux City plant was described as capable of processing 21,000 market hogs daily at full two-shift capacity.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsOther arrangements in the article show how producers’ fortunes could depend on plant needs and supply relationships:
- Iowa Select Farms was reported to supply JBS and Tyson while expanding both its sow base and contract-finishing base.
- Tyson, JBS and Smithfield were adjusting sow production as long-term supply relationships shifted alongside new plants and plant shifts.
- Clemens Food Group’s Michigan plant was discussed in connection with producer partnerships.
- Hormel had sold its Fremont plant to WholeStone Farms.
These examples describe arrangements reported in 2018. They should not be taken as confirmation of current ownership, contracts or supply relationships.
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The main risks producers were watching
Labor and housing
Labor was the largest concern named by the large producers interviewed. Iowa Select Farms communications director Jen Sorenson put the issue in practical terms: “We are very concerned about labor and housing and making sure our farms are fully staffed.” The concern was not simply whether producers could expand, but whether they could recruit and house enough workers to operate farms at capacity.
Trade, prices and market access
Producers faced trade retaliation and price pressure, with uncertainty about whether established markets could be recovered. Tosh Farms owner Jimmy Tosh said, “I am afraid these markets, both grain and meat, we have spent a lifetime cultivating will be hard to regain.” The Hanor Company president Myrl Mortenson described the outlook as “a three- to four-year slugfest,” while NPPC president and Heimerl Farms owner Jim Heimerl warned, “We can’t afford to take another hit.” These remarks reflect the speakers’ concerns in 2018, rather than a forecast of current market conditions.
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Disease and biosecurity
The article identified African swine fever abroad as both a threat and a possible source of changed export demand. If the disease increased Chinese import needs, U.S. pork exporters might benefit; if it reached the United States, the damage could be severe. Producers also cited domestic disease threats, including PRRS and PED. The report’s discussion was prospective and does not establish what later occurred.
Plant capacity, flooding and litigation
New processing plants offered outlets for more hogs, but the timing mattered: if new facilities reached double shifts, older plants might close, changing where producers could sell. The article also raised hurricane-related flooding and nuisance litigation as risks. In response to North Carolina litigation, Smithfield senior vice president of corporate affairs Keira Lombardo said: “These lawsuits are an outrageous attack on animal agriculture, rural North Carolina, and thousands of independent family farmers who own and operate contract farms.” This is the company’s position as quoted in the 2018 report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the report predicted for 2019
Looking six months to a year ahead from 2018, Freese’s article forecast slower industry growth in 2019 and outlined several possible developments. These were predictions at the time, not verified descriptions of what happened afterward.
- Older processing plants could close if newer facilities reached double-shift operation.
- African swine fever could increase Chinese demand for imported pork, benefiting U.S. exports, while an outbreak in the United States could cause severe harm.
- Ownership transitions could reshape who controlled farms and production.
- Hiring could become more difficult, increasing pressure to find and retain workers.
- Nuisance litigation could continue to grow as a concern for producers.
The report’s central tension was clear: large producers were adding capacity, but the returns depended on labor availability, market access, disease control, plant utilization and the ability to navigate legal and ownership changes.
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