Hog Prices-Markets
Cattle and hog feeding operations are experiencing the highest market prices since before the pandemic began more than a year ago. Hog margins were positive for the 11th consecutive week.
Market hogs found twice the profit margin of fed steers last week due to a rally that has added nearly $22 per cwt. to lean hog carcass prices over the past month, while cash cattle prices have been stuck in neutral.
Cattle feeding margins improved $60 per head the week ending Feb. 12 and hog margins reported profits for the second consecutive week as lean hog prices rallied.
Profit margins for cattle and hogs continue trending in opposite directions as feedyard closeouts slipped below breakeven and hog margins saw another boost from higher prices.
Average cattle feeding margins improved the final week of March, while average farrow-to-finish hog margins declined modestly.
Lower average cattle prices last week cut average feedyard margins by $43 per head last week, while pork producers saw a $5 per head increase in average margins.
Spiking wholesale beef prices the week before Christmas helped lift packer margins into the black while increasing cattle feeding margins.
Cattle prices moved higher last week but cattle feeding margins remain modest. The supply-demand fundamentals are trending in favor of cattle feeders.
Profit margins for cattle feeders increased as cash prices moved higher last week. Pork producers continue operating with negative margins.
Average cattle feeding margins increased last week as negotiated cash prices set new record highs.
Rising wholesale beef prices and declining packing plant utilization are two indicators to watch as the 2023 cattle markets unfold.
Cattle feeders experience largest average profits in seven years as packer margins dip into the red.
Profit margins for cattle feeders and packers continue pacing in opposite directions as shrinking supplies of market-ready cattle drive negotiated cash prices higher.
The USDA’s June Hogs and Pigs report holds some slightly bearish surprises; however, most are fairly small deviations from pre-report expectations, says Jason Franken, ag economist at Western Illinois University.
As recent as March 20, we had $15-per-head profits staring at us for the next 12 months in the futures markets. As it has turned out, this is one of the largest and quickest deterioration in markets I’ve experienced.
Cash-traded weaner pig reported volume was above average this past week, with 61,800 head reported. Cash weaner pig reported prices were $11.43, up $0.51 per head from last week.
We are living in a world where consumers are more and more removed from agriculture. Here’s why we need to help them understand the realities of pig farming so we can maintain a steady supply of pork.
No one can argue the ability to export “more” of the pig to more places around the world is important. Nebraska pork producer Bill Luckey says ability to diversify opportunities around the world is highly valuable.
With the Fourth of July holiday weekend nearing and the upcoming Hogs and Pigs inventory report, Rabobank shares key insights to the hog and pork markets for the remainder of 2023 and into next year.
The Prop 12 implementation modification and conflicting media reports have raised confusion among producers who want to know, “What’s in it for me?” NPPC Chief Legal Strategist Michael Formica sets the record straight.
Five economists take a look at the issues most likely to spark attention in the upcoming USDA Quarterly Hogs & Pigs Report to be released on June 29.
How’s the best way to describe the current hog market, including supply and consumer demand? It’s complicated.
It’s summertime but the grilling isn’t easy, Rabobank says in its most recent report. Analysts say it will cost $97 to host a cookout on Independence Day this year, up from $73 in 2018 – a 31% increase.
With nearly 24 million people and a cultural preference for pork, Taiwan should be a better market for U.S. pork, NPPC says. Last year, Taiwan imported just $13 million of U.S. pork due to market access issues.
The National Pork Producers Council filed comments asking the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service to scrap or rewrite a proposed rule on labeling meat “Product of USA.”
Cash-traded feeder pig reported volume was below average this past week, with 7,620 head reported. Cash feeder pig reported prices were $37.56, down $2.62 per head from last week.
The tentative agreement that’s been reached with the West Coast longshoremen is of paramount importance for U.S. red meat, says USMEF President and CEO Dan Halstrom. Here’s why.
USDA announced on June 14 that it is implementing a multi-step effort aimed at strengthening the substantiation of animal-raising claims.
Reported food spending has increased to its highest level since the Consumer Food Insights Report began surveying in January 2022, possibly leaving consumers feeling little relief from inflation.
Tensions continue between employers and unions at ports along the U.S. West Coast. These shipping delays are causing big problems for the U.S. pork industry, explains NPPC’s Maria Zieba. Here’s why.