Home Packers Hold Steady
 

Keywords :   


Packers Hold Steady

2013-06-15 21:33:00| National Hog Farmer

By Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics Inc., Adel, IA Moderate growth in sow herd, average litter size would test weekly limits. One year ago, it appeared that packing capacity would become a real issue in the fall of 2013. The concern was well-founded, as producers were expanding the breeding herd by roughly 1% and average litter size was growing at a rate of about 2% per year. The combination suggested that U.S. hog slaughter could grow by more than 3%, year on year, by late 2013. With hog slaughter already headed toward a new quarterly record of 30.433 million head in fourth-quarter 2013, the prospect of pushing 3% more hogs through the current packing sector looked daunting. Then the worst drought in 50 years came knocking. Plans to grow the breeding herd and improve litter size slowed. Slaughter levels in fourth-quarter 2013 will likely be lower than last year. But questions about packer capacity loom. read more

Tags: hold steady packers hold steady

Category:Agriculture and Forestry

Latest from this category

All news

27.11Terminal crossbreeding: A missed opportunity
27.11Feedlot Forum 2025 features Cattle feeding in a changing environment
27.11Smithfield Foods continues support for Mayflower Marathon Holiday Food Drive
27.11Researchers turn to AI to optimize hog selling
27.11H5N1 in pigs: Where are the knowledge gaps?
26.11New swine respiratory disease treatment flexibility from nursery to finish
26.11Panel talks capturing added value in cattle
26.11AMS extends comment period on fed cattle market rule
Agriculture and Forestry »
27.11 (CFI-ZCT1J02)
27.11
27.11QUICKSILVER 8/S 130
27.11
27.11Laurene LaVallis Key To Our Love 7 US
27.11THE SCOPE AFTER DARK LP
27.11
27.11DVD
More »