**Lean Hog Futures Increase Amidst Market Activity**
Lean hog futures surged by $1.60 to $2.05, with the February contract reaching $87.55 and the April contract rising to $94.75. The USDA’s national base hog price was unreported on Thursday due to low trading volume, while the CME Lean Hog Index dropped by 11 cents to $80.39 as of January 13.
USDA Export Sales data reported pork bookings of 26,826 metric tons (MT) for the week ending January 8, with shipments documented at 40,672 MT. Additionally, USDA indicated a federally inspected hog slaughter of 495,000 head on Wednesday, totaling 1.481 million for the week, marking an increase of 38,698 head compared to the same week last year. The pork carcass cutout value rose by $1.96, reaching $93.25 per cwt, despite a decrease in the butt primal value.
