Roderick C. Tubbs University of Missouri

Publish Date: August 23, 2006

As the pork industry undergoes consolidation, the feeder pig production and marketing functions are experiencing tremendous change. Producers of feeder pigs are rapidly declining while sales of feeder pigs have remained relatively constant indicating producers are getting larger. As consumers preferences change, packers in turn are signalling pork producers through their pricing systems that a high-quality, consistent and lean animal will receive significant premiums at the plant. This in turn places increasing pressures on feeder pig producers to improve quality, uniformity and overall health status of their output. Marketing high-quality, uniform and healthy feeder pigs in sufficient volume will be required of producers to be competitive as we enter the twenty-first century.