Contracts change pork industry over years
More than half of the hog farms in the United States sell their hogs via production contracts, according to a USDA report released last month.
That wasn't always the case. In 1992, only 3% of hog farmers used production contracts.
Under most production contracts, a hog farmer and a buyer agree on a fixed price for the hogs well beofre they're ready to be sold. These contracts offer stability for farmers and lower the up-front costs of production, but meat companies have taken advantage of this to drive down the amount paid to producers, according to a recent DOJ lawsuit.
This is the third in a five-part series titled “Scaling Up,” where we are analyzing how the pork industry has evolved in recent decades. Each week, we’ll release a new graphic explaining one way the pork industry has changed in recent decades. Check in next week to see the fourth installment.
— Madison McVan, reporter
Scaling Up: Use of production contracts has become the norm | Madison McVan, Investigate Midwest
A majority of hogs produced in the U.S. are sold under production contracts, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Production contracts can provide farmers with stability by lowering the up-front costs of production and protection against unexpected drops in hog prices.
Read the first part of this series on changing farm sizes.
Read the second part on producers becoming more specialized.
Pet collar coverage a finalist for award
The Institute of Nonprofit News held its annual awards ceremony last night. Investigate Midwest's series on Seresto collars was up for the Best Investigative Journalism Award, in the medium-sized newsroom division.
Our series, focused on the popular flea-and-tick collar, showed the EPA knew numerous incidents of harm were linked to the products but had not issued any warnings. Based on our reporting, a Congressional subcommittee has called on the EPA to remove the product from the market.
We were pleased to finish as a finalist for the award, and were in very good company. Congratulations to the winners and other contestants!
Here's one of the latest stories on the Seresto pet collars. The full list of INN Award winners is here.
-- Pamela Dempsey, executive director
COLUMN: Foreign investors are snapping up US land … but exactly how much, who knows? | Dave Dickey
Anybody who has kept an eye on agricultural doings knows that consolidation is occurring at an alarming rate. In the past couple of decades, competition between agricultural giants has become a fading memory.
More stories
This story is a product of the Mississippi River Basin Ag & Water Desk, an editorially independent reporting network based at the University of Missouri School of Journalism in partnership with Report For America and funded by the Walton Family Foundation.
Research seeks ways to grow solar and crops together in the skeptical Corn Belt
Purdue University researchers in Indiana are looking at the practice known as “agrivoltaics” or “agrisolar,” where active farming and solar happen in the same place instead of separately. The approach brings many complications that researchers are still trying to address – but they see big benefits in trying to hone in on best practices.
Texas State University program will mentor Black and Latina women in ag | The Daily Yonder
Black and Latina women are underrepresented in agriculture, both as agriculture degree recipients and in the workforce, Merritt Drewery, an assistant professor at Texas State University in the Department of Agricultural Sciences and project director, said.
Upcoming events
4 days left to plan to join us on Sept. 25!
WHAT: Sunset on the Farm, sponsored in part by the Cedar Rapids Gazette
WHEN: 5 to 8 p.m. September 25
WHERE: Walker Homestead outside of Iowa City
DETAILS: While enjoying a beautiful setting, delight in great brick-oven pizza, wine, silent auction and camaraderie. Proceeds support work by Investigate Midwest.
CONTACT: Tickets are available here. Contact Mary Ungs-Sogaard for more information.
Learn about mobile journalism Oct. 21-22
Top digital journalists, innovators and researchers from universities and news organizations across the nation will lead this year’s MobileMe&You conference, which is set for October 21-22, 2022.
The conference will be held at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Register here.
Why attend? The Mobile Me&You conference explores how to think differently about storytelling on mobile and social media platforms to better reach the audiences of today and tomorrow.
Launched in 2015, this conference highlights new and innovative techniques and best practices to look ahead at newsgathering in an ever-changing landscape.
