Lean Hog Futures Experience Modest Gains Amid Mixed Market Signals

Lean hog futures ended Thursday with small gains ranging from 5 to 20 cents. However, the national average base hog price fell to $79.02, a decrease of $2.37 from the previous day. The CME Lean Hog Index for December 10 showed a slight increase of 28 cents, reaching $83.61.

Pork Export Sales Show Decline Compared to Previous Year

According to the USDA’s Export Sales report, pork bookings totaled 22,460 MT for 2024, along with 4,574 MT for 2025, for the week ending December 5. Combined sales amounted to 27,034 MT, marking a three-week low and a significant drop of 44.2% compared to the same week last year. Mexico led the purchases with 9,400 MT, while Japan bought 5,600 MT. Shipments reached 33,755 MT, the highest in five weeks, with 14,700 MT heading to Mexico and 3,900 MT to South Korea.

Pork Cutout Value Declines as Slaughter Rates Increase

The USDA reported a decline in the FOB plant pork cutout value, which fell by 56 cents to $92.31 per cwt. Notably, prices for picnic, rib, and belly cuts decreased, with belly cuts taking the largest hit at $9.39 lower. Thursday’s estimated hog slaughter was 478,000 head, bringing the weekly total to 1.942 million head. This number is up 5,000 head from last week and shows an increase of 25,654 head compared to the same week a year ago.

Current Lean Hog Futures Prices

Dec 24 Hogs closed at $83.550, up $0.050.

Feb 25 Hogs closed at $84.475, up $0.100.

Apr 25 Hogs closed at $88.450, up $0.200.

On the date of publication, Austin Schroeder did not hold positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is for informational purposes only. For more details, please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy
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