Pork and swine prices reached record highs in late summer and early fall due to lower than expected slaughter rates and analysts are looking into the underlying causes. It has been pointed out that the spread of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) might have reduced market hog numbers in 2013, but the virus is mostly deadly to piglets and the theory that poor quality feed from the 2012/13 harvest, the drought conditions in late summer 2013, and producers delaying sale of market-ready pigs in order to put weight on the were the reasons for the supply shortage. However, concerns are forming for spring hog supplies. This autumn the number of U.S. farms reporting cases of PEDV increased noticeably with the latest number at 68 operations. It is also concerning that a large percentage of those reported cases were in North Carolina. Further information about the number of pig losses or the size of the farm affected is not available. This latest surge in cases suggests losses may grow next spring.
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