The U.S. pork industry is a major player in the U.S. economy.
In 2021, according to the National Pork Producers Council:
- More than 66,000 U.S. pork producers marketed more than 140 million hogs valued at more than $28 billion.
- Sales generated by hog marketings and pork processing supported more than $35 billion in personal income; added more than $57 billion to the GDP; and supported more than 610,000 jobs.
In turn, the pork industry is a major player in the U.S. agriculture industry, which drives the overall economy with a colossal footprint.
In 2021, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, agriculture, food and related industries contributed roughly $1.264 trillion to the GDP, or 5.4 percent. The economic impact of the agriculture industry extended far beyond agriculture to positively impact related sectors, including food and beverage manufacturing; food and beverage stores; food services and eating/drinking places; textiles, apparel and leather products; and forestry and fishing.
With these kinds of numbers in play, there could be no greater urgency in maintaining the pork industry’s foothold in the digital age with cutting-edge technology.
This is where FarrPro comes in, with passionate ag and engineering experts inventing the next generation of pork production tools.
Founded in 2017, Iowa-based FarrPro is devising new approaches to animal health and precision livestock farming that improve herds, reduce disease and cut energy use.
“Tech companies for decades have failed to provide the pork industry with the tools it needs,” said FarrPro CEO Amos Petersen. “The result is that operations are a black box: far too many animals are lost, it’s hard to keep employees and consumer confidence suffers.
“Tech companies have too often tried to pitch their out-of-box solutions without collaborating with the producers on how it actually needs to work in the barn. FarrPro launched with products that create better environments for the animals. Then, we moved to capitalize on our success with precision livestock farming tools that close the feedback loop in production; inspire consumer confidence; and increase farmer profits.”
Counting many of the nation’s top top pork producers as customers, FarrPro’s microclimate and data solutions are seemingly everywhere, from high-value animal research and genetics facilities to high-efficiency farrowing and finishing rooms.
Helping to drive innovation at FarrPro is the company’s flagship Sentry System, a revolutionary new way to raise animals.
The Sentry System allows the animal to “speak,” by recording their behaviors in real-time and continuously. This in turn allows those raising the animals to prevent injuries from becoming critical by intervening early to prevent adverse outcomes and returning them to health.
FarrPro’s Sentry System also tracks treatments and care. This sets the stage for caregivers to be singled out for exceptional efforts; improves the work environment; and exponentially expands the reach of the pork industry’s best workers.
The Sentry System revolves around wearable health trackers that monitor health, behavior and activity in sows and growing pigs. Think of it as “Fitbits for Pigs.” This data allows farmers to reduce costs, as they are now positioned with early intervention data that can be used to prevent critical injuries and disease outbreaks.
The Sentry System can also contribute to the genetic selection of animals that grow better with the same inputs. This improves base productivity; which in turn results in increased production worth billions of dollars; and a more sustainable and profitable animal agriculture industry.
“We see the need for these systems and work relentlessly to make them easy to use and implement for the farmer,” Amos said.
FarrPro’s groundbreaking work is spurring the transformation of animal agriculture through technology and innovation. The outlook is beyond encouraging, with the company’s next 12 months projected to generate 50,000 animals under management; launches in Europe, Canada and South America; with 600,000 animals under FarrPro management by the end of 2024.
“As the world leader in technology solutions for animal agriculture, FarrPro continues to innovate and bring new and improved products to market, always with the goal of improving animal care and increasing efficiency,” Amos said. “By harnessing the power of the Sentry System, FarrPro is paving the way for a bright future for the animal agriculture industry, where animals are treated with the care and respect they deserve, while the industry thrives with increased profitability.”
Visit www.farrpro.com to learn more.
