Lean Hog Futures Experience Minor Declines as Pork Exports Show Mixed Results

Lean Hog Prices Shift Slightly Lower

On Friday, lean hog futures finished the day either steady or down by up to 92 cents. The national average base price for hogs was $79.59, a decrease of 49 cents from Thursday. The CME Lean Hog Index closed at $83.99 on December 31, slipping 28 cents compared to the previous day.

Waning Pork Export Sales

Pork export sales for 2024 amounted to 7,528 metric tons (MT) during the week of December 26, along with 13,527 MT for 2025. Mexico accounted for a substantial portion of these sales at 11,300 MT, while Japan received 5,900 MT. However, total shipments dipped to 23,746 MT, hitting a 12-week low. In detail, Mexico imported 10,100 MT, with Japan importing 2,600 MT.

Pork Cutout and Slaughter Figures

The USDA reported a rise in the FOB plant pork cutout value, which increased by 22 cents to $89.54 per cwt on Friday. However, the loin, picnic, and ham primals recorded lower values. The estimated federally inspected hog slaughter reached 2.288 million head, an increase of 237,000 head from the previous week but down 80,755 head compared to the same week last year.

February, April, and May Futures

Feb 25 Hogs closed at $80.775, down $0.375.

Apr 25 Hogs closed at $85.775, down $0.775.

May 25 Hogs closed at $90.575, down $0.625.

On the date of publication,
Austin Schroeder
did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy
here.

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.