Source:  MEATINGPLACE.COM, 4/7/11

Whole Hog, a London-based global pig price forecasting agency, has released a new forecast for global pig prices that describes 2011 as breaking through to a new 10-year peak for the major exporters’ prices — the U.S., Canada and Denmark.

The full forecast shows that global prices have now broken through into price territory not seen since early 2005. The previous peak value was seen in late 2001/early 2002 and Whole Hog predicts that even this earlier price peak will be surpassed in 2011.

In the past, the global pig price cycle has powered past the 2005 peak value before Easter and has done so with increasing force. John Strak, editor of Whole Hog (and a Meatingplace contributor) said, “The late 2001/early 2002 price peak is now within the grasp of the current price upswing and when that happens it will mean we have a new 10-year peak value for the price cycle. Only one record stands to be broken after that — the 1997 price peak that was driven by supply shortages created by a combination of swine vesicular disease in the Netherlands and foot-and-mouth disease in Taiwan. 2011 will be the best year for the major exporting countries’ pig prices since 1997.”

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