A University of Missouri agricultural economist calls last week a fabulous week for hog prices.
Ron Plain says the negotiated carcass price of $72.96 per hundredweight was almost 10 dollars higher than the week before.
The pork cutout value of $73.92 was up 4.54 from the week before - but still over 40 dollars lower than a year ago.
Plain says the price rally is being driven by a seasonal decline in hog slaughter and a sharp drop in slaughter weights.
With packer margins getting tight, he suggests U-S packers could start cutting their slaughter hours.
Plain's weekly Hog Outlook puts U-S hog slaughter last week at 2 point 164 million head.
That's down almost 1 per cent from the week before, but up 7 point 4 per cent from the same week last year.
Year-to-date U-S hog slaughter is up 5 point 6 per cent while pork production is up 5 point 8 per cent.
