
The USDA estimated the U.S. hog population at 74.512 million as of March 1, down 179,000 HEAD, or 0.2%, from a year ago, compared with traders’ expectations for a 1.2% gain. The breeding herd of 5.980 million head was down 0.6%. Hog market inventories of 68.532 million were down 144,000 head, or 0.2%. The winter hog crop was down 0.2%, and producers expect to farrow slightly fewer sows in the spring (-0.2%) and summer (-0.8%). With every category in the report below the average preliminary estimates, the data is encouraging, especially given the unexpected herd decline.
Probable price ranges for next week:
June Lean Pork Futures - $93.70 to $100.00 with Sideways Benchmark
May Soybean Meal Futures $280.00-$297.00 Sideways
May corn futures - $4.40 to $4.60, sideways
Wholesale pork prices are expected to increase at a slower pace. The pork industry has seen some declines in feed costs and production levels have remained stable. However, rising transportation and processing costs may still contribute to slight price increases at the retail level. While pork remains a relatively affordable MEAT option, consumers may see small price increases throughout the year. Pork producers have seen fluctuations in feed costs, but overall the industry has maintained relatively stable production levels. However, rising costs associated with transportation, labor, and processing may result in higher wholesale prices. While these increases may not be as steep as those seen in the beef sector, they will still impact the overall meat market.
You can learn more about the state of the pig market in the usa, as well as about the prices of pigs and pork on the American (and other) market in the weekly reviews of the meat market in RUSSIA and in the world from Meatinfo.ru.
Weekly reviews are available with a subscription.
Average price of pigs
Negotiable price
Price in slaughter weight
Price in live weight
On a national basis LM_HG203:
-price range ($)
- weighted average price
-Change from the day before
-sales volume
83.00-90.00
87.40
-0.27
2167
56.75-69.60
67.79
-1.15
881
Iowa/Minnesota LM_HG206:
- weighted average price
87.68 (-0.06)
No data
Western Corn Belt LM_HG212:
- weighted average price
87.61 (-0.13)
No data
Eastern Corn Belt LM_HG210:
- weighted average price
No data
No data
WEEKLY WEIGHTED AVERAGE PRICE OF PIGS
Weekly approximate volume of pig slaughter, thousand heads
PORK PRODUCTION