Market Drivers
Data from Pork Checkoff Marketline
(9/1/2010)
The Latest Data from Pork Checkoff Marketline, monitoring hog and pork market and price trends. Sept. 1.
Corn Prices Will Boost 2007 Pork Production Costs
(9/18/2006)
The per-bushel corn price for the 2006/2007 market year is estimated at $2.35, up about 36 cents per bushel from the 2005/2006 market year.
Corn Production up 1 Percent; Soybeans Increase 6 Percent
(9/13/2006)
USDA’s September Crop Report shows gains in both corn and soybean production.
Hog Prices Strengthen
(8/28/2006)
"We appear to be doing the same thing price-wise this August as we did last year. Unless hogs weaken substantially in the next week, we will have a higher average price in August than July," says Glenn Grimes, University of Missouri agricultural economist.
Exports Lending the Most Price Support
(8/21/2006)
Net U.S. pork exports for the January-to-June period were 10.05 percent of production.
Economists' Survey Suggests Higher Corn Prices, Lower Hog Profits
(8/14/2006)
Each year, the American Agricultural Economics Association conducts an annual outlook survey. Looking at the livestock market for rest of 2006 and into 2007 and the 2006/2007 corn and soybean market, the survey points to the potential for modest hog profits for the last half of 2006.
Meat Demand Continues to Drop
(8/7/2006)
Consumer demand for all meats continues to take a nosedive. The period from January-June was below last year with the exception of turkey.
Red-Meat Production Should Slow
(7/25/2006)
USDA analysts project total U.S. red meat and poultry production in 2007 to grow at a considerably slower rate than expected for 2006.
Pork Supplies Show Slight Increase
(7/18/2006)
Given the stability of inventory numbers, pork supplies are expected to be up only 1 percent this summer and 2 percent in the fall.
Higher Corn Prices Could Trim Profits
(7/11/2006)
Pork producers can expect modest profits through the first half of 2007, but higher corn prices may threaten these hopes, says Chris Hurt, Purdue University Extension agriculture economist.
Cash Bids Lead Futures into Summer
(6/21/2006)
The hog markets have been putting in some volatile months. Here, Allen Prosch, University of Nebraska agricultural economist, shares his view.
Pork Forecast is Mixed Bag
(6/12/2006)
Economists Glenn Grimes, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri, and Steve Meyer, president of Paragon Economics, forecast mixed results for the pork industry for the reminder of this year and next.
Pork Demand Slips
(6/1/2006)
Consumers aren’t eating as much pork and the trend doesn’t look to change anytime soon.
Cold Storage Meat Supplies Increase
(5/22/2006)
Total red meat supplies in cold storage were up 2 percent from last month and up 6 percent from last year, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Canada Tempers Expansion
(5/8/2006)
Canada's latest hog-inventory report shows that the swine herd is not growing. As of April 1, there were 1.6 million sows and bred gilts in Canada, fewer than in April 2005.
Consumer Demand Keeps Dropping
(5/2/2006)
Consumer demand for pork continues to decline. Demand levels for January-March of 2006 were down 3.5 percent from a year earlier, according to Glenn Grimes, agricultural economist, University of Missouri.
Red Meat Production at Record High for March
(4/24/2006)
Commercial red meat production in the United States keeps climbing. It totaled 4.11 billion pounds in March, up 6 percent from the 3.88 billion pounds produced in March 2005.
Avian Flu Affect on U.S. Pork Demand
(4/17/2006)
What happens if Avian flu hits the U.S.?
Retail Food Prices Up Slightly in First Quarter
(4/10/2006)
Retail prices for food at the supermarket rose slightly in the first quarter of 2006, according to the latest American Farm Bureau Federation Marketbasket Survey. The informal survey shows the total cost of 16 basic grocery items in the 2006 first quarter was $40.73, up just 3 percent or $1.20 from one year ago.
Expect Increasing Pressure on Hog Prices
(4/4/2006)
Looking ahead, live-hog prices can be expected to be lower than the previous two years, notes John Lawrence, Iowa State University agricultural economist.
Cold Storage Stocks Stay High
(3/27/2006)
USDA's monthly cold storage report indicates that Jan. 31 meat and poultry inventories were at their highest level since May 2003, and that chicken stocks are at record levels for the second straight month.
Exports Keep Growing
(3/20/2006)
The pork industry continues to get good news on foreign trade. Pork exports for January of 2006 were up 20.2 percent from 2005, according to agricultural economist Glenn Grimes, University of Missouri. The growth in January pork exports is 50 percent since 2004 and 72 percent since 2003. Judging by January results, Grimes contends it’s possible to get a 20 percent growth in pork exports in 2006.
Bird Flu Hits Pork Prices
(3/6/2006)
While the bird flu is causing international havoc with the poultry market, it’s also having a negative affect on U.S. pork prices. Lower poultry prices for consumers are cutting into the profits for U.S. pork producers.
Canadian Pork Industry Growth Slows
(2/27/2006)
Producers had 14.5 million hogs on their operations as of Jan. 1, 2006, 1.2 percent lower than the same date in 2005 and 2.8 percent down from the previous quarter.
U.S.-Canadian Hog Inventory Up Slightly
(2/20/2006)
Inventory of all hogs and pigs for December 2005 in the U.S. and Canada was 75.7 million head. This was up 1 percent from December 2003, and up slightly from 2004, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service and Statistics Canada.
Spotlighting Changes in Market Hog Sales
(2/6/2006)
The number of hogs sold on the spot (cash) market in 2005 held steady at round 11 percent, notes Ron Plain, University of Missouri agricultural economist. Plain and his colleague, Glenn Grimes, look at the status of live-hog sales on an annual basis.
2005 Meat Consumption Drops
(2/1/2006)
In 2005, U.S. per capita consumption of red meat and poultry was below a year earlier by nearly one pound on a retail weight basis. Per person consumption of chicken increased in 2005 by about one pound. However, consumption declined for all major red meats (beef, pork, lamb and veal) and for turkey.
Red Meat Production Hits Record
(1/23/2006)
Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.95 billion pounds in December, up 1 percent from the 3.93 billion pounds produced in December 2004, according to USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Demand Still a Concern
(1/16/2006)
In their weekly of the U.S. pork industry, Glenn Grimes and Ron Plain continue to worry about demand for pork and live hogs. The University of Missouri agricultural economists say that demand for all meats other than broilers is down this year when compared to last year’s totals.
Hog Prices Should Drop
(1/12/2006)
Prices on a live basis for 51 to 52 percent lean carcasses averaged near $50 in 2005. “With larger production, slowing pork export growth, rising Canadian live hog imports, and widening U.S. marketing margins, I expect hog prices to drop to an average closer to $46 in 2006,” says Chris Hurt, agricultural economist, Purdue University.
Producers Face Higher Fertilizer Costs
(1/3/2006)
Sharply higher fertilizer costs are a big concern for crop producers, which could affect pork producers. In some instances, potash prices have doubled since last spring.
Pork in Storage Down from 2004 Levels
(12/26/2005)
Total red meat supplies in freezers declined in November, down 2 percent from October's levels, and 3 percent less than in November 2004, according to USDA's Cold Storage Report.
Lock in Feed Costs
(12/20/2005)
“Producers that control feed costs and hedge hog sales in 2006 should have another profitable year,” says Allen Prosch, Pork Central coordinator, University of Nebraska. He contends that futures prices are well above breakeven hog prices for most 2006 contracts.
Expect Hog Prices to Trend Lower in 2006
(12/12/2005)
Live-hog prices have declined about $10 per hundredweight from late November's seasonal highs, now averaging close to $40 hundredweight on a live-weight basis.
Retail Prices Show Overall Increase
(11/28/2005)
Consumers continue to pay more for retail pork products. According to Glenn Grimes, agricultural economist at the University of Missouri, retail pork prices in October were down 1.2 percent from September and down 3.3 percent from October of 2004. However, for January through October, retail pork prices were up 1.7 percent from the same months a year earlier.
Soybean Prices Recover
(11/14/2005)
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service estimates a 2005 U.S. soybean crop of 3.043 million bushels, reflecting a record large average yield, was a little larger than expected.
Demand is Softening
(11/7/2005)
October and November means a downward trend in hog prices. But news about pork demand continues to be negative, say Glenn Grimes and Ron Plain, University of Missouri ag economists. The trend for pork demand from January to September was down 4.8 percent from 2004 levels. It was down 7 percent from July to September.
U.S./Canadian Hog Supplies up only Slightly
(10/31/2005)
Statistics Canada and USDA released a joint pig-crop report late last week, showing that the inventory of all hogs and pigs for September 2005 in the two countries was 76.4 million head. That's up 1 percent from September 2003, and just slightly higher than in 2004.
Pork Exports Soar
(10/24/2005)
Pork exports continue to grow at an amazing rate. According to Glenn Grimes, University of Missouri agricultural economist, the August 2005 growth was 29.6 percent compared to the same time last year.
Profitable Prices to Hold
(10/3/2005)
U.S. pork producers can look to add another 6 to 12 months of profits to the 20 they've already experienced. That's the word following USDA's September Hogs and Pigs Report released on Sept. 30.
Exports Keep Climbing
(9/28/2005)
Pork exports continue to climb at an amazing rate. According to Glenn Grimes, University of Missouri agriculture economist, pork exports in 2005 were up 36.9 percent from a year earlier. Pork exports for January-July were up 26.2 percent, which is on top of a 27 percent growth in 2004.
Crop Forecast Shows Corn Increase
(9/20/2005)
USDA’s September crop forecast calls for an increase in corn yields in all major corn producing states, except South Dakota.
Hog Outlook Brightens
(9/1/2005)
Several market factors have come up positive for the pork industry, says Chris Hurt, Purdue University agricultural economist. He notes that live-hog prices have responded in an upward manner.
Pork Exports Equal 13 Percent of Production
(8/24/2005)
U.S. pork exports have seen tremendous growth, and that's continuing as this year is on course for a 14th consecutive record. Last year, U.S. pork exports climbed 27 percent over 2003.
Dry Conditions Take Toll on Crops
(8/15/2005)
Dry field conditions in much of the Corn Belt have analysts projecting smaller yields and higher corn and soybean prices for 2005-06. University of Illinois extension economist Darrel Good says the 2005 corn and soybean crops will be small enough to reduce year-ending stocks.
Where Are the Pigs?
(8/9/2005)
The U.S. pork industry continues to concentrate by location and size of producer.
Cold Storage Supplies Increase
(7/26/2005)
Cold storage supplies on June 30, 2005 were greater than year earlier levels for pork.
How’s the Corn Crop Look?
(7/18/2005)
It’s important to look at feed grains.
Prices set to decrease
(7/11/2005)
Looking ahead, Chris Hurt, Purdue University, expects live-hog prices to move from an average near $50 per hundredweight in July and early August to the mid-$40s in September.
A Look at Prices
(6/27/2005)
Many hog-market analysts seemed reluctant to offer price projections following last Friday's Hogs and Pigs Report. Perhaps it's part of the summer heat, or the newly announce BSE test results and the market uncertainty surrounding that.
