Dennis DiPietre

The current situation in China has many similarities to the old-time hog cycle liquidation phase.

Pork supply, pork consumption and purchasing power in China, US and China trade war and globalism are some of the balls in play and many more are to come.

Dennis DiPietre is increasingly convinced that 2019 is setting up to be the year of the great pork price mirage.

How is the increase in global meat production, low-cost coarse grains and ASF going to affect pig production?

There is no doubt if the disease is discovered in a major piglet or pork producing/exporting country such as Denmark, Germany, Spain or the USA, the mortality it causes would be only the beginning of the woes.

As a producer, aligning with a packer-processor that is exhibiting the characteristics of a long-term successful and resilient player with access to the global market is critical for success regardless of how efficient you have become as a producer.

7% drop in belly price in a single day is signaling the end of the summer seasonal prices.

There was a time when pig price was determined by seasonal patterns and total production… Now the belly price is driving the carcass price in the United States.

Being a high performing farm is not a sufficient condition to future success.

The impact of Chinese tariffs on US pork, the pork exports picture, feed costs forecast and more...

Total forecasted average profitability for the year has eroded some, from about $25/head to around $12/head in the US.

Huge supplies, increasing production and an efficient, coordinated global chain fuels low cost soybean meal, cheap feed and high profits.

How serious is the possibility that US corn production could undergo a substantial reduction in the coming crop year?

We come to the close of a year filled with happy surprises in the hog industry. 2018 will be a year of continued growth in income for most nations throughout the world. Higher incomes bring more demand for pork.

The sentence of the title is a quote from Sheryl Sandburg, COO Facebook. Contrary to all the headline grabbing scary stuff about dictators with missiles and itchy fingers, we appear to be entering a period of wide spread global economic recovery and potential prosperity that will drive big benefits to billions of people and some very special good news for pork producers worldwide.

While the remainder of the year will likely have challenges a little deeper than most are thinking now, it is not looking like a disaster…