Contract Growing

Job Summary

The Contract Grower / Production Manager (Swine) is responsible for managing and supporting a network of contract swine growers to ensure optimal animal performance, biosecurity, and compliance with company standards. This role oversees grower relationships, enforces production protocols, and ensures that herd health, growth targets, and delivery schedules are consistently achieved. The position acts as a critical liaison between the company and contract farms, driving productivity, animal welfare, and operational efficiency.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, and manage contracts with swine growers, including terms on animal care, housing, performance targets, and payment structures

• Build strong, long-term relationships with contract growers and provide ongoing support and performance feedback

• Conduct regular farm visits to monitor pig health, housing conditions, feed management, and overall farm operations

• Ensure strict compliance with biosecurity protocols, animal welfare standards, and government regulations

• Coordinate pig placement, movement, and market scheduling in collaboration with production planning teams

• Work closely with veterinarians and nutritionists to optimize herd health and growth performance

• Monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) such as average daily gain (ADG), feed conversion ratio (FCR), mortality rates, and herd health status

• Identify performance gaps and implement corrective action plans with growers

• Train and educate growers on best practices in swine production, disease prevention, and facility management

• Manage and mitigate risks related to disease outbreaks, supply disruptions, and environmental factors

• Ensure proper documentation, reporting, and traceability of livestock movements and farm activities

• Collaborate with internal teams (veterinary services, feed mill, logistics, and quality assurance) to ensure smooth operations

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Animal Science, Agriculture, Veterinary Medicine, or related field

• At least 3–5 years of experience in swine production or livestock operations

• Strong understanding of swine production systems (breeding, nursery, grow-finish)

• Knowledge of herd health management, biosecurity, and animal welfare standards

• Excellent interpersonal and relationship management skills

• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret production data

• Willingness to travel frequently to farm sites