Profitability for hog producers in the U.S. is likely still six to eight months off, according to economist Holly Cook of the National Pork Producers Council.

“This data represents expectations at this time, and certainly a lot could happen to impact those prices,” Cook said Oct. 18 during the fall 2023 U.S. Pork Industry Update and Outlook webinar presented by the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation.

Quoting Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) futures prices, Cook estimates lean hog prices to reach the $93 per hundredweight range in June 2024 and to hold there through August.

This, combined with expected reductions to input...