Is there room for building expansion or remodels?

I, I think this industry is certainly gonna need that infrastructure not only remodeled, but r- new construction because as we begin to think about some of these facilities and the onset of, uh, the, the contract grower model, I mean, you've got a number of these barns that are, are ...

They're, they're not getting any younger is what I'm trying to say, Rita.

That, I mean, could we potentially have an infrastructure issue down the road? Because, I mean, it's not like there's been a moratorium on, on construction, but I mean, it's been extremely cost prohibitive, especially coming out of some more challenging financial times there three, four years ago back during 2023.

And so looking at the forecast today, I mean, it kind of takes a little bit of wind out of your sails, like, "Well, do we build that new, new facility?" But as building costs continue to increase, I mean, you've got to evaluate what's best for your operation and for your farm and what that, that, that legacy looks like individually for you.

Uh, how do those numbers look and, you know, what does that side of things look like to you?

So I mean, from a c- domestic consumption standpoint or per capita availability, I mean, pork's hovered in that 50 pounds per person range for the last 30 plus years.

And so we're ... we found a pretty comfortable space.

Thomas Titus is a past president of the Illinois Pork Producers, currently at large director on the board of directors for IPPA, and we talked about the latest hogs and pigs report out recently, what those numbers mean to the industry.

Uh, so what we saw out of that report, I mean, w- was relatively supportive.

I'm gonna use excessive caution and not say it was bullish because the market's been certainly, I mean, pressured here as of late.

All hogs came in a percent and a half below a year ago.

The, the breeding herd continues to not show expansion, and a lot of that is attributed towards the interest rates, I mean, the cost of infrastructure today and what that space cost is.

And so, I mean, we're continuing to see the sow herd contract.

However, I mean, that productivity of these higher powered genetics today continue to, to producing more with less in that situation.

Uh, maybe just talk a little bit about how Illinois looks, you know, and what you see as maybe, uh, is on the horizon as far as a longer term for pigs in this state.

I, I think this industry is certainly going to need that infrastructure not only remodeled but r- new construction because as we begin to think about some of these facilities and the onset of, uh, the, the contract grower model, I mean, you've got a number of these barns that are, are ...

They're, they're not getting any younger is what I'm trying to say, Rita, that, um, I mean, could we potentially have an infrastructure issue down the road? Because, I mean, it's not like there's been a moratorium on, on construction, but I mean, it's been extremely cost prohibitive especially coming out of some more challenging financial times there, uh, three, four years ago back during 2023.

And so looking at the forecast today, I mean, it kind of takes a little bit of wind out of your sails like, "Well, do, do we build that new, new facility?" But, um, as building costs continue to increase, I mean, you've got to evaluate what's best for your operation and for your farm, uh, and what that, that, that legacy looks like, uh, for, for individually for you.

Uh, how do those numbers look and, you know, what does that side of things look like to you?

So I mean, from a c- domestic consumption standpoint or per capita availability, I mean, pork's hovered in that 50 pounds, uh, per person range for the last 30 plus years.

And so we're, we've found a pretty comfortable space, but I mean, one of the challenging parts is you talk about protein demand in general, Rita, is that you continue to see poultry increase.

Um, given the price point of beef, I mean, there might be a shift in transition in proteins just from an economical standpoint.

Uh, but you see a lot of that shift more so going towards poultry, which that's very, very challenging as a pork producer myself.