Genetics Supervisor at The Maschhoffs in Louisville, Illinois, United States

Genetics Operations Section Manager at The Maschhoffs in Louisville, Illinois, United States

Illinois Pork Industry Facts
Where does Illinois rank in pork production in the U.S.? A. Fourth. In 2003, Illinois produced 1.83 billion pounds of pork, fourth in the U.S. behind Iowa, North Carolina, & Minnesota.

How many pigs are in Illinois? 4.1 million head. Of that 4.1 million head - 430,000 head are breeding hogs (sows & boars) and 3.67 million are market hogs (numbers according to the June 2005 U.S. Department of Agriculture Hogs and Pigs Report).

How many hog farms are there in Illinois? 3,400. Keep in mind that USDA considers anyone that raises 1 or more pigs to be a hog farm. Pork producers on average are getting larger and more specialized (may only raise feeder pigs or may only raise market hogs) to remain competitive in the ever-changing pork industry.

How much does the pork industry contribute to our state’s economy? $1.9 billion. The pork industry is a vital part of our local and state economies contributing more than $1.9 billion annually to the state’s economy in addition to generating more than $176 million in taxes. How many jobs are related to the pork industry in Illinois? 18,500. The pork industry includes not only pork production, but also input suppliers such as feed and equipment, transportation, and processing.

How many bushels of corn do market hogs consume in a year? 94 million bushels of corn or the equivalent to 573,170 acres of corn. Pork production is one of the largest consumers of grain. In Illinois about 8% of the corn crop is fed to livestock within the state. In 2003, Illinois marketed 8.983 million head of hogs. These market hogs consumed approximately 94 million bushels of corn, which by using the 2003 statewide average of 164 bushels/acre amounts to 573,170 acres of corn consumed by market hogs in Illinois!