Hog Farming In N.C.
...t him apart from the rest of the hog farmers. He always did what others would consider inconvenient. He would be working into the late hours making his business better and more profitable. Murphy received the 1996 Pulitzer Prize thanks to his contribution to the hog farming economy in N.C. Thanks to Murphy and his vision, hog farming in N.C. is what it is today. Unprecedented growth in North Carolina's pork industry, a 163 percent increase in pounds produced since 1970,has brought a new look to this agricultural mainstay. In 1993, live hog production accounted for nearly 17 percent of North Carolina's agricultural markets. North Carolina has soared from its 1970 ranking of eleventh among swine producing states to second in 1994. The hog industry importance can not be measured in pounds produced or production numbers. Its growth influences employment, investment and revenue as well as potential growth among support industries ranging from accounting to plumbing. This industry has created over 5,000 jobs in North Carolina, which is about 13 percent of the states total agricultural employment. The total value of swine production was $1 billion in 1993 but has since grown. But how does that $1 billion affect other facets of North Carolina's economy? Economists call this the multiplier effect. For North Carolina, they estimate that for every $1 of income earned by swine producers, another $.80 of income is generated for other individuals or businesses in the state. The employment multiplier for North Carolina hog production is 3.43. For every full-time worker hired by hog producers, two full-time jobs and one part-time job are created in other economic sectors. The pork packaging and processing industry accounted for $1.4 billion in sales in 1993. 81 percent of the meat processing sector in N.C. are employed to handle the hogs. North Carolina has 11 percent of America’s swine and is a major supplier of fresh packaged pork to the east coast. The combined economic impact of swine production and meat packing/processing totaled $3.6 billion in state output and $1.17 billion in income in 1993. Almost 25,000 full-time employees can be attributed to swine production and pork packing and processing. These figures include income and employment in wholesale and retail businesses, financial services, and manufacturing and transportation endeavors. The future looks bright for hog farming in North Carolina. Hog production reached nearly 15 million head in 1996 and climbed past 20 million at the end of the century. Hog inventory passed the 10 million mark in 1998. This growth is being spurred, in part, by increased capabilities in existing packing facilities and the addition of new packing and processing businesses. Recent expansions have increased slaughter capacity to 8 million hogs per year. Building on a historic foundation and a strong economic network, North Carolina's swine industry is preparing for its inevitable role as the state's number one agricultural commodity. All the economic issues are well and great but environmental issues are another story. The waste hogs have is an insurmountable problem. Over 50,000 pounds of waste are produced by hogs. That's more waste in one year than the entire human population of Charlotte, North Carolina produces in 58 years. So obviously you can see why it has many people upset. Managing of all this hog waste effectively presents a significant environmental challenge. A challenge that is not being met by current regulations and industry practices. In many places, the problems have simply overwhelmed North Carolina's communities and the environment. It is suggested that we must adopt a set of guidelines that will provide the people their safety and public health. Many people that live by a hog farm complain about th...