Feeder pig prices this week at United Tel-o-Auction were $4-6 per cwt. higher than two weeks earlier. All weighed between 50-60 pounds and sold from $34-43 per cwt.

Nationally feeder pigs last week were $1-2 per head higher than a week earlier. The average price for 50-54 percent lean, 10-pound pigs was $20.62 per head. The average price for 40-pound pigs, 50-54 percent lean was $13.98 per head. The formula price for 10-pound pigs was $31.66 per head, and the formula price for 40-pound pigs was $39.06 per head. The spot market price for 10-pound pigs was $10.12 per head, and the spot price for 40-pound pigs was $14.22 per head. There were big time losses for pig producers selling on the spot market.

The weight of barrows and gilts in Iowa-Minnesota for the week ending September 5 at 267.4 pounds per head was up 0.4 pound from a week earlier and up eight pounds per head from a year earlier. The average weight of barrow and gilt carcasses under Federal Inspection for the week ending August 29 at 197 pounds per head was up five pounds per head from 12 months earlier.
Sow slaughter for the week ending Aug. 29 was a little below a year earlier in actual numbers but when adjusted for the shrinkage in the sow herd it was 2.5 percent above a year earlier. This is the third consecutive week with sow slaughter above a year earlier. Gilt and sow slaughter for the last few weeks suggest producers may have sped up the reduction in herd size.

Pork cutout this Thursday afternoon at $55.07 per cwt. of carcass was up $1.38 per cwt. from a week earlier. Loins at $72.96 per cwt. were up $8.64 per cwt., Boston butts at $58.24 per cwt. were up $1.79 per cwt., hams at $41.93 per cwt. were down $6.24 per cwt. and bellies at $66.08 were up $3.95 per cwt. from seven days earlier.

The corn and bean crop continues to progress in good condition. This week’s corn condition was rated as 69 percent good to excellent, up eight points from last year. Soybeans rated 68 percent good to excellent, up 11 points from last year. We will have the September estimate of corn and bean production in 2009 next week.

Live hog prices Friday morning were $0.75-3 higher compared to a week earlier. Weighted average negotiated carcass prices Friday morning were $0.16 lower to 1.74 per cwt higher compared to seven days earlier.

The top live prices Friday morning were: Peoria $28 per cwt., Zumbrota, Minnesota, $32 per cwt. and interior Missouri $34.25 per cwt.

The weighted average negotiated carcass prices Friday morning by area were: western Corn Belt $49.76 per cwt., eastern Corn Belt $46.85 per cwt., Iowa-Minnesota $49.70 per cwt. and nation $47.73 per cwt.

Slaughter this week under Federal Inspection at 2.050 million head was down substantially because Labor Day was a different week this year than in 2008.

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 Glen Grimes or Ron Plain may write to them in care of this publication.