Lean hog futures closed Wednesday with mixed trade, with front months down 30 to 52 cents and deferred contracts 10 to 40 cents higher. Open interest was up 1,587 contracts. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $95.56 on Wednesday afternoon, down $1.70 from the day prior. The CME Lean Hog Index was back down 17 cents on June 22 at $91.47
USDA will release their quarterly Hogs and Pigs report on Thursday, with a Reuters survey of analysts looking for June 1 hog inventory up 0.9% from last year. Hogs kept for breeding are seen down 0.7%, with market hog inventory seen up 1.1%. The March-May pig crop is expected to be up 1.2%, with farrowings seen down 0.2%.
