We're contracting with one of the larger producers in the area. We don't own any hogs anymore. I think it was a good opportunity for us. With the larger farms coming in, it allowed us to pay off a bunch of debt and still raise hogs and use our facilities. Large farms create opportunities for people to get in the hog business, he said.
Small producers benefit from industries spawned by the corporations.
Even small producers can take hogs there. Annette Hampton of Kerrick, who runs a 65-head purebred sow operation with her brother Ralph, said they haven't seen a lot of benefits from their corporate cousins. But they don't expect to be run out of business either. Neb. She said prices are better there. While the Hamptons' primary business is selling breeding animals, hogs that aren't sold as breeders are sold as market hogs.