Statistics Canada says the Canadian sow herd was down 1.1 percent on the first day of 2011, but their market hog inventory was up 0.9 percent. They forecast first quarter farrowings in Canada would be down 1.4 percent, but the number of litters farrowed during the second quarter of 2011 would be up 0.7 percent compared to a year earlier.

U.S. pork exports in 2010 were up 3.2 percent compared to the year before. Pork imports were up 3.1 percent. The U.S. exported 4.2 billion pounds of pork in 2010. That was 3.4 billion pounds more than we imported. In total, 2010 pork exports equaled 18.8 percent of U.S. pork production and imports equaled 3.8 percent of our production.

The four biggest foreign buyers of U.S. pork last year were Japan, Mexico, Canada, and South Korea, respectively. Together they purchased 70 percent of our total pork exports. The biggest growth market last year was Mexico, which bought 147 million pounds more U.S. pork than in 2009.

Canada was the source for 80.7 percent of U.S. pork imports in 2010. Denmark supplied 9.2 percent of our pork imports.

The value of pork exports ($4.08 billion) exceeded the value of pork imports by $2.8 billion. Pork exports were up by $500 million compared to 2009. We exported $43.65 worth of pork and by-products for each hog slaughtered in 2010, up from $37.97 per head the year before. Pork trade ended 2010 on a strong note. We exported 11 percent more pork than in December 2009.
Iowa-Minnesota live weights for barrows and gilts averaged 272.9 pounds last week, down 0.9 pound from the week before and up 4.5 pounds compared to a year earlier. The average carcass weight of barrows and gilts slaughtered the week ending Feb. 5 was 206 pounds, up 1 pound from the previous week and 7 pounds heavier than a year ago. Since the first of October, barrow and gilt carcass weights have averaged 2.5 percent above year-ago levels.

Hog prices ended this week lower than the week before. The national weighted average carcass price for negotiated hogs Friday morning was $79.24 per cwt., down $3.62 from the previous week. The Western Corn Belt averaged $79.51 per cwt. and Iowa-Minnesota averaged $79.55 per cwt. No morning price report was available for the Eastern Corn Belt. The top live hog price Friday at Sioux Falls was $57 per cwt. The top at Zumbrota, Minn. was $55 and Peoria’s top was $54 per cwt. The interior Missouri live top Friday was $57.25 per cwt., down 1.50 from the previous Friday.

USDA’s Thursday afternoon calculated pork cutout value was $89.75 per cwt., up 80 cents from the previous Thursday. Loins, butts, and hams were higher. Bellies were steady.

Hog slaughter totaled 2.089 million head this week, down 3.1 percent from the week before and down 3.0 percent compared to the same week last year.
The April lean hog futures contract ended the week at $92.27 per cwt., down 10 cents from the previous Friday. The May contract ended the week at $100.55 per cwt. June hogs settled at $100.77. July and August contracts also closed above $100 per cwt.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Ron Plain may write to him in care of this publication.