BROOKINGS, SD. — South Dakota State University (SDSU) announced on Aug. 16 that the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council committed $1.2 million toward expanding the university’s Swine Education and Research facility. 

The grant will fund the addition of two new wean-to-finish nutrition rooms to the existing complex and double the facility’s research capabilities. 

“Pork producers are a valued partner of corn farmers and underpinning that demand for corn is the need to always improve research capabilities,” said Jim Ketelhut, president of the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council. “This gift enables SDSU’s swine program to take a tremendous step forward and we are pleased to help support fellow producers in this manner.” 

Barry Dunn, president of SDSU, said the facility has become a vital part of the swine industry in South Dakota and helped the university establish itself as a leader in swine teaching and research. 

“South Dakota Pork Producers are extremely grateful for the generous donation being put forward today by the South Dakota Corn Utilization Council,” said Adam Kraus, president of the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. “The SDSU Swine Education and Research Facility is a testament of what happens when the entire ag industry supports each other so innovation and education can take place.”

The facility opened in 2016 and includes sow teaching, an on-site wean-to-finish research barn and an off-site wean-to-finish production barn. The swine herd for SDSU consists of 150 sows managed in five groups with 30 sows to a group. 

The production system is designed for batch farrowing every four weeks and weaning at 21 days of age. The off-site wean-to-finish barn finishes out and does research on two groups of 1,200 weaned pigs annually.

“SDSU has established itself as a leader in the swine industry with a growing reputation for impactful research around nutrition and management,” said Bob Thaler, PhD, SDSU extension swine specialist and distinguished professor. “Livestock production was the initial ‘value-added’ for corn, grains and soybeans, and it continues to utilize a very significant amount of these products every day. The addition of these research rooms will help us further increase demand for corn and other locally produced feedstuffs. Also, from a sustainability standpoint, nothing is more environmentally friendly than the symbiotic relationship between crops and livestock production.”