Breakevens and production costs continue to be a struggle for U.S. pork producers, but things aren’t as dire as they once seemed, according to an analysis by Iowa State University (ISU) agricultural economist Chad Hart.

Glimmers of positive news include reductions in farrowing intentions for 2023 and 2024, year-over-year reductions in feed costs, a surge in exports and data that indicates the per-head costs have hit their peak and are likely to come down next year, Hart noted during a presentation at ISU’s Swine Day last month.

“All this should help the pork industry stabilize,” he said.

Right now, breakeven is about...