By Blake Jackson
Smithfield Foods recently sold a former Premium Standard Farms sow farm in Sullivan County, Missouri. The 1,371-acre property, consisting of farmland, pasture, and woodland, sold in 10 tracts for $5.64 million, or $4,160 per acre.
Despite the property's unique features, including 653 tillable acres, a 27-acre lake, timber draws, pastures, and ponds, it was the property's history and seller that attracted significant interest.
The farm was once part of Premium Standard Farms, a former major pork producer in the country. The confinement buildings were demolished, and a deed restriction prohibits future hog production or confinements on the property.
Smithfield Foods acquired Premium Standard Farms in 2007, addressing its environmental and labor issues. In 2013, Chinese meat processor Shuanghui International, now WH Group, acquired Smithfield Foods.
The same year, Missouri lifted the total ban on foreign farmland ownership, allowing up to 1% of the state's farmland to have foreign owners.
As of 2022, Murphy-Brown of Missouri, a Smithfield subsidiary, owned 42,172 acres in the state, mainly in Sullivan, Mercer, and Putnam counties. This sale represents approximately 10% of Smithfield's holdings in Sullivan County.
In August 2023, Smithfield announced plans to close 35 hog farms in northern Missouri, including many in the region where this property is located.
Smithfield did not respond to inquiries about the property's history, production status, or factors influencing the decision to sell.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-jimfeng
Categories: Missouri, General