The 47th annual Pork Classic was held at South Dakota State University on Saturday. SDSU Extension Swine Specialist Bob Thaler says the event helps showcase how pork production is one of the leading industries in agriculture in the state and raises money for scholarships.

He says the swine industry has a huge economic impact in South Dakota, especially with 12-percent growth in the state’s herd numbers just in 2018.

Thaler says there are many reasons pork production is expanding in the state, including the opportunity it provides for young people to get into farming.

He says the infrastructure is also attractive with cheap feed, plenty of land for nutrient management and especially the expansion of the pork processing industry in the region.