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Lean hog futures increased by 17 cents to $1.20 on Thursday. The USDA reported national base hog prices at $104.43, down $1.24 from the previous day, while the CME Lean Hog Index remained steady at $105.92 on September 2.
In July, pork exports reached 551.89 million pounds, marking the second largest total for that month in history. USDA reported an estimated hog slaughter of 489,000 head for Thursday, bringing the week-to-date total to 1.461 million, which is 7,196 head higher than the same week last year.
As of October 25, lean hog contracts closed at $95.025 (up $1.200), December 25 at $87.300 (up $0.175), and February 26 at $89.500 (up $0.200).
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