Hog Farming in Eastern North Carolina

The last decade was marked by the restructuring of American hog farming. Small-scale swine operations and independent processing facilities have given way to a vertically and horizontally integrated, industrial-type farming regimen. North Carolina's pork producers were leading innovators in this transformation. Across eastern North Carolina, hog production has emerged as the second most important agricultural commodity, but the areal distribution of industrial hog farming has imploded, with increased concentration of hogs and related business infrastructure in the Southern Coastal Agricultural District. In the face of growing state and local regulation of their business, hog producers have adjusted their expansion programs, moving new facilities out of state and cautiously expanding herds in counties where the local political climate is still hog friendly. This paper examines these trends, comparing the early 1990s to the last half of the decade. Geographical shifts in the business are explored and potential adjustments in the future of eastern North Carolina's hog farming enterprise are suggested.