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

Sep 11, 2023

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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Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.