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IHT Group to manufacture, sell hog-cooling technology in North America

IHT Group, based in Winnipeg, Canada, is bringing patented cooling pad technology for hogs to the North American market in spring 2024, according to a recent press release. The technology was designed by researchers in Purdue University's Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Department of Animal Sciences.

The pads are 2-foot-by-4-foot aluminum tread plates on top of copper pipes that circulate water. Sensors in the pads determine if the hog is too hot and circulate new water to keep the pad cool. 

Heat harms hogs

Record heat across North America impacts not just people but also animals, including farmers' livestock. Francisco Cabezon, research president at Pipestone Research, which specialises in swine health research and recommendations, said overheating can cause problems for hogs.

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How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Video: How AI Is Changing Family Hog Farms | Duane Stateler on Technology & the Future of Pork Production

Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape pork production, and longtime pork producer Duane Stateler believes the industry is only getting started.

Recorded at World Pork Expo 2026, Stateler shares how technology has already transformed modern hog farming—from automated barn climate control and feed monitoring to real-time alerts—and explains why AI will play an even bigger role in improving animal care, efficiency, and decision-making.

As a fifth-generation hog farmer, he also discusses the importance of family farms, succession planning, labor, and how technology is helping today's producers care for more animals while maintaining high welfare standards.

In this interview:

The future of AI in pork production

How smart barns improve pig care

Feed bin monitoring and automation

Labor challenges and family farming

Why technology is shaping the next generation of producers