Lean hog futures were 20 to 77 cents higher on Thursday, as April slipped 42 cents this week. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $90.35 on Thursday afternoon, up 18 cents from the day prior. The CME Lean Hog Index was down another 4 cents on March 31 at $90.41. The market is closed on Friday in observance of Good Friday.
USDA’s Export Sales report indicated 53,049 MT of pork sold in the week of 3/26, the largest for the calendar year. Mexico was the buyer of 39,100 MT, with 3,300 MT sold to Japan. Shipments were 39,758 MT in that week, a 5-week high. The top destination was Mexico at 17,500 MT, with 5,200 MT headed to Japan.
