Sterling estimated margins across the pork industry remain nearly unchanged from the prior week. Farrow-to-finish did show about a $2/head improvement from the prior week to average $57.97/head compared to $55.68/head the prior week.
The Lean Carcass Value averaged $92.13/cwt for the week. Sterling’s estimated packer margin for the week was $4.54/head against $3.24/head a week earlier. Plant capacity utilization averaged 92.9% according to the Sterling estimate. Market hog slaughter hovering at 2.4 to 2.5 million for the past year, this has held utilization in the low-to-mid 90% range.
View the full Sterling Pork Profit Tracker for the week ending April 25.
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.)
