Each year, 100 million hogs are brought to slaughter, a number only possible because of the movement to intensive, rather than traditional, pig farming. Because pork is one of the most widely consumed meats, the demand for pork is always strong and growing. Lean hog is the most common source for pork meat in the U.S., but the country that continuously ranks at the top for total consumption of pork is, without a doubt, China.
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Lean Hog Facts
Hogs have a relatively short gestation period of about 3.5 months with the typical litter bearing 9 piglets. Therefore, hogs are bred twice a year continuously in order to ensure a constant wave of production. After about a month, the piglets are weaned from their mothers and fed a special diet to produce a quick weight gain. Hogs can gain up to 3 pounds every time they feed. When hogs are around 6 months old and reach a weight of over 250 pounds they are ready to be butchered. Each matured hog can yield around 190 lbs. of meat suitable for consumption.
China is responsible for nearly half of all pork production worldwide, however, the United States is the leader for pork exports. Japan was the world’s largest importer of pork in 2011.
Lean hog futures can allow traders to address price risk among those involved in the trade of lean hogs and to assess supply and demand of lean hogs for both the current and future outlook.
Source: Barchart
Last updated October 2015.