Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 12/10/13

Pork production rose sharply in the past five weeks as slaughter weights from packer-owned pigs rose, according to the Daily Livestock Report.

The report, published by livestock analysts Steve Meyer and Len Steiner, Inc., concluded the heavier weights of packer-owned hogs have been an attempt to make up for reduced hog numbers as a result of Porcine Endemic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv).

The analysts warned that even as USDA data shows a slight drop in new positive PEDv samples, “the drop should not be counted as a trend reversal.” They noted the disease continues to spread rapidly in Iowa, as well as spreading in Minnesota and recently into Nebraska.

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