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Higher Production, Lower Export Demand Hurting U-S Hog Prices

The average hog marketed in February in the U-S sold for more than 3 dollars less than the cost of production.

That's according to calculations done by Iowa State University.

It's apparently the first month American producers lost money on their hogs since December of 2013.

Year-over-year pork production in the U-S was up 6 point 1 per cent, but both cutout values and hog prices were down.

The lower prices are being blamed on both the increased production and the weaker export demand.

The University of Missouri's weekly hog outlook had last Friday's pork cutout value at $67.52 and the negotiated carcass price at $57.89.

The cutout value is down 22 cents on the week, over 63 dollars lower than last year.

The carcass price was 2.75 lower than a week ago and over 64 dollars lower than last year.

U-S hog slaughter last week was just over 2.2 million head, up 0 point 4 per cent on the week, up almost 10 per cent on the year.

The University of Missouri report says that's nine weeks in a row the American hog slaughter has been above year ago levels.

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(File photo courtesy of © Can Stock Photo Inc. / dehooks)

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