Producers need to prepare for African swine fever shutdown

Jul 04, 2023

When African swine fever appears, producers will face the sort of shock they experienced in 2020.

“The COVID packing plant backup and shutdown gives us a preview of the impacts that can have,” said Dr. Anna Forseth in an interview at the World Pork Expo.

ASF has spread across Asia into Europe, all the way to the Atlantic coast, and sent chills down the spines of the North American hog industry when it appeared in the Caribbean.

Pork industries in Canada, the United States and Mexico have been working feverishly to prepare, but whenever it appears, the short-term impact will be severe.

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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.