Hog prices have "soared" in recent weeks to average $1.47/kg dressed for the weeks ending February 13 and 20. Although February is usually a seasonally higher-priced month, these current hog prices are hugely superior to the forward prices projected back in November 2003.

Changes to hog supplies from the intended removal of 35,000 sows from production by Smithfield Foods in NC; the effect of BSE on beef supplies and the loss of poultry from the avian flu breaks around the world, may have contributed quickly to the demand side of pork and hence the price increase.

We regret the loss of any producers and their production from the Prairie landscape. The industry in declining in producer numbers at the rate of 200 or more per Province. Hopefully the CAIS program funded by the Federal and Provincial governments will provide financial relief, and some more optimism, for our remaining producers.

The meetings organized by the Western Hog Exchange and OLYMEL in early February provided a wealth of information for producers to compete in this marketplace. OLYMEL’s description of its sales and export requirements outlined the need for appropriate fat thickness and loin muscle depth. WHE described in some detail the best way to analyze its settlement slips and summary reports to continue to bring pigs to slaughter with the best potential for high indexes. Weighing hogs to hit the core weight is essential in most grading schemes.

PEAK has acquired a small herd of pedigreed Duroc gilts that will contribute to both purebred and crossbred breeding at Gwynne Vista Farms. Selected boars and gilts will enhance growth rates and carcass quality. Trailblazer boars can be bred from surplus Duroc gilts and sows in the expanded herd.

Duroc boars are also available on an ongoing basis from Five Lakes Farms to selected clients.

Many thanks to all our regular clients!

Gwynne Vista Farms farrowed a Landrace gilt with 14 piglets, each one as even in weight as the other. Keith has hardly seen anything like that in all his years of breeding purebreds.

Jim Moore improved his market index average to 112 from 108 through the use of a selected Duroc boar from PEAK.

http://ag.ansc.purdue.edu/meat_quality/marbling_consumer.html

Conversations with packing company representatives indicate that pork exports to Japan demand marbling scores of 4.0 or 5.0 on the scale indicated at left.

Genetics and feeding regimes can, and do, influence the amount of marbling in pork cuts.

Duroc sires (and their crosses) have been shown to increase marbling in their offsprings’ carcasses.

The Lacombe breed, which incorporated Berkshire bloodlines in its original breeding makeup, should be recognized as having superior meat quality.

Scientists at Lacombe Research Centre presented their findings on nutritional manipulation of pork quality at the Banff Pork Seminar [their report is included in Advances in Pork Production, Vol 15, pp 237-241].

Nutritional means to manipulate meat quality are possible. The addition of conjugated linoleic acids to hog rations increased marbling fat in muscle cuts in three of the five studies that were researched.

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