Pork margins narrowed further last week with producers seeing a $10/head drop to average $28.47/head for the week. Year ago, farrow-to-finish margins averaged $82.39/head for that week. The W. Cornbelt Lean Carcass Value averaged $83.22/cwt. and was down $3/cwt. from the prior week.
A year ago, hogs were sold at $106.11/cwt. Sterling estimated the average for packer margins last week at -$0.13/head and margins continued under significant pressure.
View the full Sterling Beef Profit Tracker for the week ending Sept. 19.
The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are calculated by Sterling Marketing, Vale, Ore.
(Note: The Sterling Beef Profit Tracker calculates an average beef cutout value for the week in its estimates for feedyard and packer margins. Other prices in the weekly Profit Tracker also are calculated weekly averages. Feedyard margins are calculated on a cash basis only with no adjustment for risk management practices. The Beef and Pork Profit Trackers are intended only as a benchmark for the average cash costs of feeding cattle and hogs. Sterling Marketing is a private, independent beef and pork consulting firm not associated with any packing company or livestock feeding enterprise.)
