Smithfield Foods has announced plans to build a new packaged meat and fresh pork processing facility in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, US.

The approval process to build the new facility has now been initiated, with the project subject to securing required permits and regulatory consent. Smithfield’s estimate of the proposed investment is up to $1.3 billion over the next three years.

According to the meat company, the proposed facility will be ‘the most modern of its kind in the US,’ set to be equipped with advanced automation technology and promising significant efficiency gains for the group’s fresh pork and packaged meat operations.

It will replace Smithfield’s existing plant in South Dakota, which has been operational for more than 100 years. The company currently employs 2,300 people in Sioux Falls.

Smithfield is working with  South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken and the Sioux Falls Development Foundation on the opportunity to build the new facility outside of downtown Sioux Falls.

The site will support independent hog farmers, corn and soybean producers, as well as other agricultural sectors across the pork supply chain in South Dakota and the surrounding region.

If approved, it will be constructed in Foundation Park, the state’s largest industrial park. Site work is slated to begin at the new location in spring 2026, with initial groundbreaking anticipated in the first half of 2027 and production expected to begin at the end of 2028.

Shane Smith, president and CEO of Smithfield Foods, said: “This highly automated facility will represent a major investment in Sioux Falls, the state of South Dakota and the future of American agriculture”.

“Smithfield’s investment supports our long-term strategy of continuing to grow and optimise our value-added packaged meats and fresh pork operations to deliver innovation, convenience and value to our customers.”