# High costs, low values stunt the pork industry: CoBank | Agriculture Dive

> CoBank's report says farrow-to-finish returns have fallen 66% since 2018 to $7.30 per head, discouraging expansion. Soft domestic and export demand, along with elevated retail prices, are compounding pressure on producers, and USDA data showed June 1 hog supplies roughly unchanged from a year earlier.

- Date: 2023-07-31 · published 2023-07-31T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: report · region US · magnitude low
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/35180-high-costs-low-values-stunt-the-pork-industry-cobank-agriculture-dive
- Commodities: [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md)

## Why it matters

Stagnant hog supply and weak demand leave pork prices supported, while limited herd growth keeps feed demand from expanding.

## Read by commodity

- HOGS: neutral

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HOGS | 2023-07-28 | [CoBank details pork market challenges \| MEAT+POULTRY](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35178-cobank-details-pork-market-challenges-meat-poultry.md) | -0.4% | -15.6% |
| HOGS | 2022-04-20 | [China’s Struggling Pig Farmers Should Return to Profit in Third Quarter, Agriculture Ministry Official Says](https://feedsoft.ai/events/41837-china-s-struggling-pig-farmers-should-return-to-profit-in-third-quarter.md) | -2.9% | -4.5% |
| HOGS | 2024-02-14 | [Rabobank: Global pork production to slow in 2024 \| Feed Strategy](https://feedsoft.ai/events/31661-rabobank-global-pork-production-to-slow-in-2024-feed-strategy.md) | +10.1% | +12.0% |
| HOGS | 2026-10-15 | [Market Insights: The three stories of protein \| MEAT+POULTRY](https://feedsoft.ai/events/605-market-insights-the-three-stories-of-protein-meat-poultry.md) | -2.4% | — |
| HOGS | 2017-01-01 | [More Pork in 2017 With Higher Hog Prices?](https://feedsoft.ai/events/73129-more-pork-in-2017-with-higher-hog-prices.md) | -0.9% | +7.3% |

## Sources

- agriculturedive.com: https://www.agriculturedive.com/news/high-costs-low-values-stunt-the-pork-industry-cobank/689432/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.