Lean hog futures are trading mostly within 20 cents of unchanged as of Wednesday morning. The USDA reported a national base hog price at $69.40, while the CME Lean Hog Index dropped 19 cents to $82.25. The USDA also reported a pork carcass cutout value of $95.06 per cwt, reflecting a 93-cent increase.
In the week of December 18, the delayed Export Sales report indicated 18,978 MT of pork sold for 2025 and 25,998 MT for 2026 shipment, with total exports at 34,850 MT. Additionally, federal inspection estimated hog slaughter for Monday at 492,000 head, leading to a weekly total of 942,000, 41,000 head below the previous week but 55,371 head above the same week last year.
