Special Section: Pork

Swine of the times
Adapting to changing consumer tastes and energy markets could boost on already strong pork industry

By Dan Lemke

Minnesota may not be top dog in hogs, but it’s close. Ranked third in the nation in overall production, the Gopher state produces 14 million hogs a year - about three for every Minnesotan.

That’s good news for grain growers, too. Minnesota hogs are eating up more than 39 million bushels of the state’s soybeans and 90 million bushels of its corn. In addition, more than 22,000 Minnesotans owe their job to the pork industry, the Minnesota Pork Board estimates.

But the industry isn’t ready to stand still. To advance and grow, the Minnesota Pork Producers Association is focusing on a number of new opportunities opened up by technology and changing consumer tastes. 

Energy

Fourteen million hogs produce plenty of waste, which is now used exclusively for fertilizer. “From an environmental standpoint, we are always looking at new technology for manure handling,” says Dave Preisler, executive director of the Minnesota Pork Producers Association. “That could involve changing the physical characteristics, to the generation of energy.”

AURI receives frequent inquiries about anaerobic digesters used to generate methane gas for heat or electricity from solids such as hog manure. Alan Doering, AURI technical services specialist, says that with the number of animals in the state and the amount of manure produced, digesters may be worth considering.

“Since hog manure has a lower solid content than dairy waste, hog manure isn’t a viable option right now,” Doering says. “But as technology changes and we continue to look at this, there may be some opportunities down the road. We’re not there yet, but it certainly could happen.”

Changing consumers

The American landscape is changing. Ethnic populations are growing and shifting, creating new opportunities to market pork products.

“The industry needs to react to changing demographics,” Preisler says. “We need to put pork in a form that will maintain and increase consumption.”

Preisler says people in many cultures eat pork. But they may want different cuts from different breeds. For example, some southwest Minnesota farmers are raising Berkshire hogs for Japanese consumers who prefer the darker red meat with more marbling than typical American pork.

Convenience Foods

The traditional family sit-down dinner is not as common today in America’s busy households. “We’re seeing more dual-income families, they’re in a hurry and they want to cook something quick.” By developing more convenience items, value-added pork processing will grow, Preisler says. “We will need that to stay competitive.”

Preisler says a food-industry survey shows that nearly half of all Americans prefer partially-prepared dinner meals. About 12 percent want a fully-prepared meal. The pork industry is showing some growth in this area, as stores and delis are offering items such as whole racks of ribs cooked on rotisseries, ready to eat at home.

Food service 

While most meals are still prepared at home, the trend is changing. More are eaten on the run or in restaurants. For that reason, the pork industry is aggressively promoting pork products to the foods service industry.

Preisler says bacon, sausage and other pork products have long been staples on restaurant breakfast menus. Ham is popular on lunch menus, in sandwiches and salads. It’s the dinner menu where pork industry leaders hope to grow beyond just loins and ham.

Coproducts

Markets for pork-processing coproducts, such as organ meats and hides, are generally well established, Preisler says. Most large-scale processors have enough volume to ship containers of coproducts overseas - but it’s more difficult for smaller processors.

AURI is working with Minnesota’s small and medium-sized animal processors to collectively market the offal from their facilities to add an additional revenue stream. Coproducts, such as rendered fats, could be used to produce biodiesel.

Preisler says the pork industry is interested in working with Minnesota’s ethanol industry to research processes to incorporate more dry distiller’s grains, an ethanol coproduct, in swine rations. Typically hogs can use rations with no more than a 10-percent blend of DDGs. But a process to alter the distiller’s grains’ make-up could increase their use in hog diets - benefiting both hog and corn producers.