Pork packers continue to be faced with breakeven to negative margins as the pork cutout trails behind the cost of hogs. The average W. Corn Belt lean carcass value last week averaged $88.89 against a pork cutout value of $96.39. Capacity utilization in hog plants averaged 93% for market hogs.
View the full Sterling Pork Profit Tracker for the week ending March 29.
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.)
