Re: excess supply hogs
Greg & Lei Gunthorp (hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com)
Tue, 6 Oct 1998 00:20:23 -0500
The rumors and realities are running rampant in the hog industry right
now. Its hard to know who to believe and who not to believe.
I've heard a lot of these stories. I don't think it would be a high
percentage of the hog industry even if they are true.
There is a lot of talk of SEW (segregated early weaners) being given away
(and gassed). There is also talk of aborting sows in hopes to rebreed for
better prices. I can't document any of them. I have talked to a couple of
people who have lost the contract for their SEW pigs. Check out the USDA's
info on feeder and early weaner pig prices. They are very low for the ones
that still have markets.
Most economists say this market has no chance of improvement till at
least the summer of 2000. Before it turns around its going to take its toll
on small and large hog farmers alike.
I'm afraid there are even going to be a lot of sustainable hog producers
that throw the towel in before this one is over. Its going to take very low
debt AND low cost to survive this one. We are in desperate need of
alternative markets for sustainable livestock farmers if we want very many
left.
Best wishes,
Greg
Gunthorp's Pasture-ized Pork
LaGrange, Indiana (a stones throw from Ohio & Michigan)
hey4hogs@kuntrynet.com
visit our farm at www.grassfarmer.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Rexxie1@aol.com <Rexxie1@aol.com>
To: sanet-mg-digest@ces.ncsu.edu <sanet-mg-digest@ces.ncsu.edu>
Date: Monday, October 05, 1998 8:13 PM
Subject: excess supply hogs
>Can anyone verify this report of a buyer for a well-known hog slaughter
co.?
>He said prices for hogs are so low that some large midwestern producers
cannot
>afford to grow them out. Instead they are gassing newborn pigs and then
>disposing of the carcasses. He also said that in North Carolina, at some
>sites pigs are being born right in the gestation crates without moving the
>sows to farrowing crates and the newborns are immediately tossed into the
>liquid manure storage.
>
>Thanks.
>
>From: Marlene Halverson,
> Minnesota
>
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