New Intel for Ag resources help farmers assess animal product feasibility

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The average Missourian eats 63 pounds of pork each year.

“If you’ve thought about supplying pork to Missouri markets but haven’t decided for sure, then Intel for Ag (www.intelforag.org) can help,” said Mallory Rahe, University of Missouri Extension state specialist and Intel for Ag contributor, in a press release.

Information posted to Intel for Ag, a free website, educates Missouri producers about the farm enterprises that best align with their land, management skills and available markets, Rahe said. This year, MU Extension added information to the site to support individuals in evaluating the feasibility of producing animals, including pasture-raised pigs.

“For a producer who’s been on the fence about whether to add pasture-raised pigs to a property, now’s a good time to evaluate the option,” she said. “That’s where Intel for Ag makes a difference. For people interested in starting or scaling up a business, it provides a framework for assessing the feasibility of business ideas based on their resources and goals.”

Rahe says an especially useful feature of Intel for Ag is the Market Intelligence report, which now summarizes consumer demand and preferences for specific animal products. Intel for Ag estimates animal product consumption per person and Missouri county. These insights can help producers visualize sales potential and which animal products, such as pork, their target market demands. Rahe said this knowledge can benefit producers as they choose market channels to reach buyers.

“For example, if pork consumption is stronger in urban areas than in the producer’s home county, that producer might explore ways to market products farther from the farm,” she said. “The site’s data help producers be strategic about what they raise and where they sell their products.”

The Market Intelligence report also delves into consumer preferences for visual and nonvisual product attributes – characteristics such as appearance, freshness, grass fed or locally grown. For example, 44% of Midwest pork chop consumers say a fresh, not frozen, chop is important to them, and 16% view a U.S. pork chop to be important. Understanding such consumer priorities is key to refining a farm’s marketing strategy.

“By aligning their marketing messages and packaging with what their target customers value most, producers can maximize their sales potential,” Rahe said.

Other parts of Intel for Ag feature information about animal production, including the Sustainable Enterprise, Knowledge Center and Land Suitability tools. When used in combination with market insights, these tools can illuminate the animal production options that fit best on a given farm, she said.

Grant funding from the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority allowed for expanding Intel for Ag to include resources for pork, poultry, beef, dairy and other animal products.

To use Intel for Ag to uncover insights into animal product demand and consumer preferences, create a Market Intelligence report at https://intelforag.org/market-intelligence.