University of Missouri economist Ron Plain thinks last week's USDA report had some good news for American hog producers.
The mid-point of the department's predicted average corn price is now $3.65 a bushel.
Plain says that would be the lowest season-average corn price since 2009 - and the second-lowest since 2006.
Plain also reports the July estimate of farrow-to-finish profitability from Iowa State University posted a third consecutive month of profits above 20 dollars an animal.
Plain's weekly hog outlook put the national average negotiated carcass price for direct delivered hogs in the U-S last week at $74.84 a hundredweight.
That's $1.53 higher than the previous week but still almost 28 dollars below a year ago.
U-S hog slaughter last week was 2.218 million head - up 10 per cent from the same week a year ago.
U-S hog slaughter so far this year is running almost 8 per cent above 2014.
