There’s no shortage of supply in the red meat and poultry complex heading into 2017, which makes it important to revisit the basics of marketing and price risk management.

"We’re looking at record supplies of animal protein," said Lee Schulz, Iowa State University Extension live­stock economist. "It’s a trend that started in 2016 and will likely continue through at least 2018."

Record production in the U.S. pork industry has created a processing capacity squeeze, especially for the fourth quarter of 2016.

"We haven’t increased packing capacity in the U.S. much since the early 2000s, although...