Posted on 04/24/2020 7:27:27 PM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo
With Smithfield Foods' Sioux Falls pork plant closed by a COVID-19 outbreak, Minnesota hog farmer Greg Boerboom may face a grim choice.
The South Dakota plant had been scheduled this week to slaughter about 1,400 of Boerboom's pigs. Smithfield directed 25% of that shipment to another Smithfield plant in Illinois — with Boerboom paying the extra $1,500 in freight costs.
The remaining 850 hogs are in limbo. Boerboom is seeking a destination for them before they grow too big for market and thus face euthanization.
Over 3,000 healthy pigs were put down in Minnesota this week, and 200,000 more could soon follow.
"There's never been anything like this," Boerboom said. If idled pork plants don't open soon, "we are going to see multigenerational, longstanding [hog] farms not get through this financially."
Minnesota is the nation's third largest hog-producing state. And pork is critical to Minnesota's agricultural economy.
Up to 30% of the nation's pork-processing capacity is shuttered as COVID-19 cases have spread through factories.
JBS USA's big plant in Worthington, which processes 20,000 hogs a day, was indefinitely idled Monday. Major slaughterhouses in Iowa — also prime destinations for Minnesota-grown hogs — have been closed, too.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
“BTW I raised 250,000 pigs before I sold my farm.”
Whadya do? Cut ‘em loose!?
Hormel in Austin, MN? Can ‘em!
I understand your example to show price differences; however, a low-end tractor nowadays starts at 250K$. And that may not include the tires/tracks! :-)
Time for a whole bunch of backyard Hawaiian style barbecues! We did this for our wedding- had a party the night before, and buried the pig with hot coals- dug it up for the reception, and had another party. The pig was delicious, and the whole thing was a blast!
I live just north of a town called Hog Mountain (GA). Local farmers in the 1800s would bring their hogs to this area for delivery to Atlanta for the market slaughterhouse. They would notch each farmers’ hogs’ ears here so that they would know who owned which hog when it to market.
My town was named Dacula because it was the only railroad crossing before the trains went into Atlanta and the market.
Decatur & Atlanta = Dacula
Bullshit, they are one of the most destructive creatures on earth and breed like rabbits. Ask a Texan.”
I’m in agreement with your statement, and I AM a Texan!
What is the BS about?
That was about the idea to just turn them loose. They would be better off putting them down and bury them. I hate to see the meat wasted but I’d rather not see them loose and turning wild either.
I should have added sarcasm. Turning them loose was to get back at the people shutting down the processing plants. Wild pigs will likely never be wiped out. They just breed like flies.
They’re tough and eat anything. You folks in Texas know the drill. Be Safe.
My husband and I lived and traveled MANY places. And I NEVER, EVER saw a country/government as wonderful as ours.
I used to tell the whiners and complainers who HATE our country, government or way of life to GO LIVE IN BANGLADESH if it's so bad here!
Go live ANYWHERE south of our border, Africa or Asia!
If people can't see how great we have it here, then they should go visit the third world pit-holes. See how THEY live. Then come back here and be grateful to our good Lord for allowing us to exist.
20 years ago I agreed with you. Now the US is number 17 in economic freedom.
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking
20 years ago I agreed with you. Now the US is number 17 in economic freedom.
https://www.heritage.org/index/ranking
People don't "sneak" into places like Bangladesh, Central Africa or South American dictatorships. They don't even sneak into second world countries. They sneak into FIRST WORLD countries like ours, Europe, Australia and a hand full of anomalous countries.
Mexico HELPS the Central/South Americans who want to get to the USA. With friends like Mexico we don't need any enemies.
And, in Central America MEXICO is called the "GIANT OF THE NORTH."
It's a lot to do with perspective, don't you think?
Probably is perspective. I had a German tell me once that it was just luck that I was born American and I shouldn’t be arrogant about it. I told him that I was 25% German and no where near as arrogant as he was.
As they say: Damn Gringo, take me with you.
The German is lucky to be born in the biggest economy in Europe. It was luck that he was born there but who knows if he's arrogant about it.
There are some 16% of Americans with some German heritage in them...mein Herr. My mother was +45% German. We are a mongrel race.
I represent the Northern part of the EU. lol...full mutt.
Meanwhile I have a rain check for a cheap ham that can’t be redeemed because the store has none in stock nor any prospect of stocks.
And it’s going to get worse before it gets better.
It is costly.
In our area hogs for slaughter are going cheap. The problem is you either have to slaughter them yourself or find a butcher open to do it for you.
You want to destroy the area and all the other farmers?
So sad that you fell in the pen with your remaining pigs.
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