After losing an estimated $3 billion last year, U.S hog farmers turned a profit of $10.92 per hog in June for the first time in a year because of summer seasonal demand. Looking to the future, hog farmers are expecting more profit into the coming year as input feed costs are reduced because of a record corn crop predicted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). As a result, increasing hog numbers could moderate prices of pork next year, although, the spread of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDV) will be a development to watch.
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