The world’s largest pork market, China, may be experiencing a more than 50 percent decline in production and yet U.S. hog prices are softening. Part of the problem is that hog slaughter as a percent of packing capacity is well above year-ago levels (see graph below). The ratio of slaughter to packing capacity is running at 89.6 percent, versus 86.6 percent in 2018. As this ratio increases, prices tend to decrease since packers don’t want to buy hogs when their hook space is full.
The increase in slaughter to packing ratio is occurring at the same time there is a seasonal downturn in hog and pork prices. Prices this year began to soften a month or two earlier. Some analysts this week highlighted how U.S. pork expo...
The magpie goose (Anseranas semipalmata) is the sole living representative species of the family Anseranatidae. This waterbird is found in northern Australia and southern New Guinea.[2] The species is not truly migratory but it sometimes travels large distances to find food and water, especiall...
The common ostrich (Struthio camelus), or simply ostrich, is a species of flightless bird native to certain areas of Africa (and historically, Arabia) and is the largest living species of bird. The common ostrich is one of two extant species of ostriches, the only living members of the genus St...
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A pika (/ˈpaɪkə, ˈpiːkə/ PY-kə, PEE-kə[3][4]) is a small, mountain-dwelling mammal native to Asia and North America. With short limbs, a very round body, an even coat of fur, and no external tail, they resemble their close relative the rabbit, but with short, rounded ears.[5] The large-eared pi...
