MUNCIE, Ind. – There should be very good news to share with hog producers during the upcoming Midwest Pork Conference, billed as Indiana’s premiere education and trade show.

According to USDA, the hog industry anticipates “significant profitability” for hog farmers in the near future with some experts predicting a profit of $20 to $25 per head.

David Hardin, who finishes about 12,000 hogs a year on his Indiana farm, said prices are much better already than they were during a struggling market the past few years.

Hardin said the hundredweight price for a lean carcass of a hog is now above $80, or about $8 more than last October.

“As long as we don’t see overproduction in the pork industry, I think we can see good prices for the foreseeable future,” he said.

The one-day Midwest Pork Conference is Dec. 2 at the Horizon Convention Center in Muncie.

There will be networking opportunities with fellow producers and industry leaders along with a full schedule of educational sessions about timely, practical topics. There will also be a swine-focused trade show and an economic update on the industry along with Spanish translation services provided.

Early bird registration is available until Oct. 31.

People are also invited to a pre-conference event on Dec. 1 featuring a private viewing of the documentary, “World Without Cows.” The film explores the impact and importance of animal agriculture in the world.

Tickets are $25 and includes the documentary, a drink ticket, unlimited soft drinks and appetizers. A cash bar will be available during the showing of the movie from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the convention center.

According to USDA, prices are up due to tighter supplies caused by a drop in the rate of slaughter and a rebound in U.S. pork exports, which increased by 5 percent over the previous year.

Hardin, who raises hogs near Danville west of Indianapolis, said small and medium sized pork producers leaving the industry over the past year due to low prices also contributed to the drop in supply.

He expressed surprise that exports remain strong despite the uncertainty created over tariffs.

“Customers around the world still see U.S. pork as a good value buy and they know what they’re going to get from a quality standpoint,” he said.

Hardin believes prices will remain strong at least for a while due to positive summer futures projections and steady demand from consumers, who he feels will begin switching to pork soon to avoid much higher beef prices.

Lower feed costs, especially for corn, have also helped the profit margins of hog producers.

“It looks like there will be a longer streak of black ink than we’ve had to work with in the past several years,” he said.

Hardin also said he’s interested in how many pork producers will hang on to their profits to make up for previous year losses or use the extra money to invest on expanding their operations. He believes the high cost of construction materials will influence many producers to hold off on expanding.

Hardin, a sixth-generation farmer, also raises corn and soybeans on about 2,200 acres with about half of the corn used as feed for his herd.

Hardin, a past president of the Indiana Pork Advocacy Coalition, has been on the board of directors for the Indiana Pork Producers Association since 2005. 

He also worked in a grain futures division at the Chicago Board of Trade for two years and has farmed full-time since 2003.

For more information or to register visit www.indianapork.org/events