Weekly Hog Market Update: Price Gains and Steady Slaughter Rates Define North American Markets

Nov 18, 2024

Ontario Market Highlights: The Ontario market saw a rise in the 100% Base Formula Price, reaching $226.88, compared to $219.71 last week and significantly above last year’s price of $190.28. Weaned pig and feeder pig values are also trending upwards, now accounting for 26% and 41.25% of the Base Formula Price, respectively.

Canadian Market Overview: Quebec’s Pool Price and Manitoba’s Calculated Hog Value experienced slight increases as well, with the Canadian dollar stabilizing around 0.7188 USD. National hog slaughter numbers reached 429,756, marking a slight uptick from previous weeks but remaining below historical highs.

U.S. Market Snapshot: Federally inspected hog slaughter in the U.S. remained steady at 2.6 million, showing a 1% increase year-over-year. The USDA Pork Carcass Cutout slightly decreased to $101.59, with lean hog futures displaying moderate adjustments across contract months.

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Video: Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes | Field Talk Friday

Field Talk Friday | Dr. John Murphy | Root Exudates, Soil Biology, and How Plants Recruit Microbes

Most of us spend our time managing what we can see above ground—plant height, leaf color, stand counts, and yield potential. But the deeper you dig into agronomy, the more you realize that some of the most important processes driving crop performance are happening just millimeters below the surface.

In this episode of Field Talk Friday, Dr. John Murphy continues the soil biology series by diving into one of the most fascinating topics in modern agronomy: root exudates and the role they play in shaping the microbial world around plant roots.

Roots are not passive structures simply pulling nutrients out of the soil. They are active participants in the underground ecosystem. Plants constantly release compounds into the soil—sugars, amino acids, organic acids, and other molecules—that act as both energy sources and signals for soil microbes.