Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 1/4/17


Smithfield Foods is reporting that nearly 90 percent of pregnant sows on its U.S. company-owned farms are living in group housing systems, putting its goal of 100-percent group pens for pregnant sows in 2017 within reach.

Smithfield first announced plans to convert to the group system in 2007 and has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on construction work, equipment and system upgrades and installing new feeding and watering systems, the company said in a news release. The commitment has benefitted the animals in addition to “positively impacting the efficiency and environmental sustainability at our farms,” the release noted.

Just 6.6 percent of Smithfield’s sows at company-owned U.S. farms were in group housing in 2010; 87 percent were in group systems at the end of 2016, the Smithfield, Va.-based company reported.

The pork processor also expects all of its U.S. contract growers to be fully converted to group housing by 2022 and is providing guidance to the growers to support the conversion process. A similar effort and timetable is in place for Smithfield’s hog operations in Mexico, the company said.

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