(Des Moines) — How many Iowa jobs are the result of the state’s hog and pork industries? That question served as the basis of an economic study. The Iowa Pork Producers Association recently conducted an economic impact study relating to the state’s hog industry with the state’s total economy. The economic contribution study was conducted in late 2016 by Decision Innovation Solutions of Urbandale, Iowa. Pat McGonegle is the Chief Executive Officer for the Iowa Pork Producers Association and says the study was conducted to help policy decision makers.
McGonegle says the pork producers association studied the industry’s economic impact on the entire state, but also selected a few prominent pork producing counties to see the impact on the local economy.
The Pork Producer executive says across the state the economic pork study contributed to $36.7 billion dollars in sales with slightly more than one-third for swine production, $18.3 billion dollars or nearly half of economic revenue is from the harvest of pigs and $5.4 billion dollars or 14.7 percent from pork processing. McGonegle says more than 100-thousand Iowa jobs are the result of the state’s pork industry.
McGonegle says the state’s pork industry is also an important contributor to the state’s tax revenue, and we should do what we can to help protect the pork industry.
Three prominent pork producing counties within northwest Iowa, Buena Vista, Sioux, and Plymouth Counties were studied separately for the pork industry’s economic influence. It was determined the pork industry is responsible for nearly 3600 jobs in Buena Vista County…3,736 jobs in Sioux County…and 1,821 jobs in Plymouth County.
Click here for stats: Plymouth
