**Lean Hog Futures Decline, USDA Reports**
Lean hog futures experienced a decline on Friday, with losses ranging from 20 to 55 cents across the front months. February futures closed at $84.525, down $0.525. The USDA reported a national base hog price of $67.19, while the CME Lean Hog Index was at $83.71, down one cent from the previous day.
The USDA’s pork carcass cutout value increased by $4.05 to $97.71 per hundredweight. In terms of production, federally inspected hog slaughter stood at 1.978 million head for the week, representing a decrease of 85,628 head compared to the same week last year.
