Signals
Signals: November 2012
There’s an old saying: “The best cure for low prices is low prices.” Hog prices dropped dramatically from mid-June to mid-September before rebounding. In that time span, hog carcass prices fell from above $100 per hundredweight to below $65 per hundredweight.
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Signals: October 2012
Between the first full week of August and the first full week of September, hog carcass prices dropped more than $23 per hundredweight. The drop was primarily caused by a big jump in hog slaughter.
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Signals: September 2012
This summer’s drought is the most widespread since the 1950s. Despite the most corn acres since 1937, this year’s crop is expected to be down nearly 1.6 billion bushels (12.8 percent) from 2011 and the lowest level since 2006.
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Signals: August 2012
A great spring turned into a brutal summer. Hot, dry weather has seriously damaged the corn and soybean crops. For the first time, corn futures have traded above $8 per bushel, soybean futures above $17 per bushel and soybean meal futures above $500 per ton.
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Signals: June 2012
Meat and poultry production has been constrained in recent years due to record corn prices caused by the explosive growth of the ethanol industry.
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Signals: May 2012
Each year there are more Americans to feed and more pork exported but not more sows. The number of sows farrowed has declined each year since 2007.
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Signals: April 2012
U.S. pork exports continue to rise, with January exceeding half a billion pounds, carcass-weight equivalent, for only the second month in history. Also, for the third time ever, we exported more than 25 percent of a month’s total pork production.
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Signals: March 2012
Hog prices were record high in 2011. The average live-weight price for 51percent/52 percent lean hogs was $66.11 per hundredweight, up 20.1 percent from 2010, 60.3 percent higher than in 2009 and 12.5 percent above the 1982 record.
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Signals: February 2012
Each month for nearly 50 years, Iowa State University economists have estimated the cost of raising hogs. Corn prices do a good job of approximating production costs.
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Signals: January 2012
Pork producers know well that feed prices have skyrocketed in recent years. USDA has forecast the average price for the 2011 corn crop at a record $6.40 per bushel, up $1.22 from 2010’s record.
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Signals: November 2011
Sow herd productivity continues to improve as producers work toward 30 pigs per sow per year. For the first time, the nation averaged 10 pigs weaned per litter in second quarter 2011, and then repeated it the next quarter.
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- Wet U.S. Midwest sections may lead to fewer corn acres
- U.S. revises meat-labeling rules to satisfy WTO ruling
- Where’s the rain? Parched states can’t shake the drought
- U.S. House votes to force approval of Keystone pipeline
- Alltech Symposium challenges agribusiness to make an impact
- USDA reports no change in pork exports
