Improved prices push Canadian pork producers back to profitability

The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture reports improvements over the past few days have pushed average western Canadian hog prices back above break even.

Western Canadian prices for index 100 hogs over the last few days have ranged from the low 140s to the mid 150s per 100 kilogrammes, an improvement of close to US$20 per 100 kilogrammes from late March or about 15%.

Brad Marceniuk, a livestock economist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, said prices have improved enough over the last few days that on average producers in western Canada are back to profitable levels in contrast to the US which was back to profitability sometime in March.