News

A pretty good run for pork producers

A livestock market specialist says the hog market has been pretty steady for the first half of 2016.

Ron Plain, professor emeritus at the University of Missouri says that is a good thing.   “We’ve done well on prices – they’ve moved up pretty steadily this spring,” he says.  “They often do, but they look like they’re going to go still higher.”

He tells Brownfield the primary reason for the move upward is because there aren’t as many hogs available as were anticipated.  “Slaughter since March 1 has been about a half of one percent lower than indicated by the last pig report,” he says.  “Fewer hogs and higher prices makes for good profits for producers.”

Plain says it’s been a good run of profitability for hog producers.  “2014 was the most profitable year ever for hog producers,” he says.  “They made a little bit of money again last year,” he says.  “So far this year the first five months have been profitable so it’s a bit longer stretch of profitability that normally occurs in the hog industry.”

The USDA will release its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report at 3 Eastern and Plain says he doesn’t expect any surprises.

AUDIO: Ron Plain, University of Missouri