February 8, 2021
 

Drop in Canada's Alberta Index 100 hog price in 2020

Canada's Alberta Index 100 hog price averaged $1.44 per kg (without grade premiums) in 2020, down 9% from 2019 and 6.7% below the five-year average.

Last year, Canadian hog slaughter was 21.7 million head, up 4.2% over 2019. Alberta hogs for slaughter was up 8.5% year-over-year at 2.38 million head.

During 2020, COVID-19 significantly disrupted hog markets. The temporary shutdown of several hog processing plants reduced weekly processing volumes and delayed the marketing window of hogs in several locations across North America. This led to weakened hog prices and producer margins.

Due to the pandemic, there are currently 10 pork Canadian exporters that have their export certificates temporarily suspended by China.

- Government of Alberta