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Canada's second-biggest hog producer, Big Sky Farms, has entered receivership as the North American hog industry struggles under the bruising costs of animal feed, according to a report by Reuters. Big Sky Farms, based in Humboldt, Saskatchewan, produces roughly one million pigs annually and accounts for 40% of Saskatchewan's total hog production. Under receivership, an outside party controls a company until it can restructure its debt or be sold, says Neil Ketilson, general manager of Sask Pork, an industry group run by hog farmers....More

The age of the average American farmer has risen to 57 years old. Moreover, the percentage of farmers over 75 increased by 30%, while the percentage of farmers under 25 dropped by 20%. Vast quantities of young people simply are not entering farming these days, and that’s a problem many communities have an interest in solving, according to a report from A. Bryan Endres and Rachel Armstrong, Department of Agricultural and Consumer Economics, University of Illinois...More

After my effort last week to put fall supplies in what I still believe is a correct and lower context, federally-inspected (FI) slaughter exploded to 2.265 million head, 4.6% higher than the week before and nearly 7% larger than last year. The June Hogs and Pigs report indicated nothing like this in terms of market hog supplies. What’s more, the report had been very accurate (running only 0.8% below the June inventory numbers) from July 1 through August 8....More

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) argues against animal-rights groups that would deny due process to livestock and poultry farmers who want to have input into national fire standards that would affect their operations....More

Today DowJones released its pre-report surveys of analyses of Friday’s USDA livestock and crop reports, summarized by the CME Group’s Daily Livestock Report. The reports indicate:...More

The National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) is requesting that Canada suspend its hog subsidy programs before entering the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks. NPPC pointed out if similar programs existed in the United States, production would more than double in 10 years and critically impact the Canadian hog market....More

U.S. pork exports rose 8% the first quarter of 2012 by volume (657,864 tons) and were 20% higher in value at $1.66 billion than last year’s record pace, according to statistics released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF). However, March pork export volume of 218,869 tons was 8% lower than a year ago, but 6% higher than February 2012. Export value at $570.5 million was 3% higher than last year and up 8% from the previous month....More

I am asked this question by many people. The December 2011 USDA Hog and Pigs report did not show any real expansion. In our view, hog numbers will be about 1 to 1½% higher this year....More

The Iowa Pork Producers Association (IPPA) and Iowa State University (ISU) are jointly sponsoring three risk management sessions this December on volatile agricultural markets, high input costs and high capital costs facing farm operations...More

Women interested in swine marketing are invited to attend one of three workshops focusing on risk management and decision-making tools...More

A PorkCast webinar on March 30 focuses on “Future Swine Profitability: Importance of Implementing a Sound Risk Management Program...More

Risk management, it seems, has always been viewed favorably by pork producers. Problem is, it’s rarely practiced to any great degree. A key reason, of course, is that hogs have generally been profitable – especially for those whose cost of production is better than average....More