Is Smithfield the largest pork producer in the world?

Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter and his son, the company is the largest pig and pork producer in the world.

Is Smithfield the largest pork producer?

Who's the Largest Pork Producer in the United States? The largest pork producer in the U.S. is Smithfield Foods. Though it was founded and is based in the U.S., Smithfield was purchased in 2013 by a Chinese company called the WH Group, which still owns it today.

Who is the largest exporter of pork in the world?

Historical Data

In 2023, the leading exporters of Pig Meat were Spain ($6.54B), United States ($5.98B), and Germany ($4.08B). In the same year, the main importers of Pig Meat were Japan ($3.79B), China ($3.27B), and Italy ($3.16B).

How much pork does Smithfield export to China?

That same month, Smithfield sent China 9,170 tons of pork, one of its highest monthly export totals to that market in the past three years. Tyson exported 1,289 tons of pork to China, the most since January 2017.

Who owns Smithfield Company?

Smithfield's Chinese Ownership, Explained

But in 2013, WH Group, formerly known as Shuanghui International Holding Limited, one of China's largest meat producers, purchased Smithfield outright for $4.7 billion. It was the largest-ever Chinese acquisition of an American company, and was highly controversial in America.

World's largest pork producer closes three U.S. plants

Where does the UK export pork to?

China drives increase in UK pork exports. The volume of UK pork exports in the first quarter of 2025 increased by 4% year on year, driven by higher volumes to China.

Which country produces the best quality pork?

Spain. Some of the best pig breeds can be tracked down to Europe. Spain, sitting on Europe's Iberian Peninsula, is home to “walking olive trees” — Ibérico pigs. Esteemed for their rich and distinctive meat, the flavour of these pigs is developed from being fed acorns and bred in natural, open conditions.

Who produces the most pork in Europe?

Overview. The EU is the world's second biggest producer of pork after China and the biggest exporter of pork and pork products. The EU's main producer countries are Germany, Spain and France and between them they represent half of the EU's total production.

What country eats the most pork in the world?

China is the country that eats the most pork, as it is a staple meat in its diet, and it has a large population.

Where does China get most of its pork?

Trade Balance

During the same year, China imported $3.27B in Pig Meat, mainly from Brazil ($889M), Spain ($787M), and United States ($306M).

Is Smithfield a Fortune 500 company?

1974. Joseph W. Luter III, grandson of the company's founder, became president. Under Luter's leadership, Smithfield started on its path to becoming a Fortune 500 company.

Who is the biggest pig farmer in the world?

Qin Yinglin (Chinese: 秦英林; pinyin: Qín Yīnglín, born 1965) is a Chinese agriculture tycoon, billionaire, Communist Party member, and the world's richest farmer. He is the Chair and president of the pig farming company Muyuan Foodstuff and is one of the richest people in China. According to Bloomberg Billionaires Index, ...

Is Smithfield going public?

Smithfield Foods officials rang the opening bell Tuesday at the Nasdaq MarketSite in New York City, as the packaged meat and fresh pork giant launched its initial public offering of 26 million stock shares at $20 per share on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, raising $522 million.

What is the highest quality pork in the world?

Widely recognized as the most premium pork in the world, Berkshire pork is renowned for its high degree of marbling, with lines of “good fat” running throughout the meat that melt like butter during cooking, producing meat that is sweeter, more tender, and juicier than your average commodity variety.

Why does Denmark produce so much pork?

This is the reason why Denmark is among the world's largest pig meat exporters. Danish pig meat producers observe high standards of animal welfare, and pig farmers constantly strive to improve the welfare of live pigs. Danish pig production is characterised by high food safety standards and good animal health.

Who is the biggest meat producer in Europe?

Lower level of production of bovine meat in 2023

Slightly more than three-quarters of the EU's beef in 2023 (see Figure 5) was produced in 6 countries: France (20.7%), Germany (17.3%), Ireland (10.9%), Italy (9.7%), Poland (9.3%) and Spain (9.1%).

Which country is famous for pork?

Currently China is the world's largest pork consumer, with pork consumption expected to total 53 million metric tons in 2012, which accounts for more than half of global pork consumption. In China, pork is preferred over beef for economic and aesthetic reasons; the pig is easy to feed and is not used for labour.

Where are Smithfield pigs raised?

In addition to owning over 500 farms in the US, Smithfield contracts with another 2,000 independent farms around the country to raise Smithfield's pigs. Outside the US, the company has facilities in Mexico, Poland, Romania, Germany, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.

What is considered the best pork in the world?

Heritage Berkshire Pork is the World's Best!

Berkshire Pork is coveted for its tender bite, its flavor, and its succulent fats and juices, and is featured in some of the finest restaurants around the world.

What breed of pig has the highest quality of meat?

Berkshire (or Kurobuta some places) is an heirloom pig that is bred in very few places in the world. The fat content is higher and the meat more marbled than commercially raised swine which makes it superb for grilling and stewing. Kurobuta pork chops melt in the mouth if cooked properly.

Is the UK self-sufficient in pork?

Taking imported soy feed into account, the UK is only 41% self-sufficient in pork, 54% in chicken and 57% in overall meat – far lower than Defra's official estimate of 85%. Despite this, the real crisis deserving policy attention is the UK's low self-sufficiency in fruit and vegetable production.

Where does the UK get its bacon from?

In Great Britain the Yorkshire and Tamworth pig breeds are bred specifically for bacon and referred to as 'bacon breeds'. If you are interested in history, heritage and recipes of the traditional English breakfast, check out our official English Breakfast Handbook, lovingly produced by the English Breakfast Society.

Where does China import most of its pork from?

In 2020, Chinese pork imports from Europe accounted for 55.8% ⁸of total pork imports, followed by North America (28.4%) and South America (15.8%) (Figure 1).