Lean hog futures were down 25 cents to $1.65 at the Thursday close. Open interest suggested some modest long liquidation, down 3,105 contracts. USDA’s national base hog price was reported at $92.64 on Thursday afternoon, down 61 cents from the day prior. The CME Lean Hog Index was back up 12 cents on April 28 at $91.31.
Export Sales data from USDA showed pork sales for 2026 at 46,288 MT for the week ending on 4/23, a 4-week high. Mexico was the buyer of 26,100 MT, with 8,800 MT sold to China. Shipments were tallied at a calendar year low of 35,029 MT. The top destination was Mexico at 16,300 MT, with 4,500 MT headed to Japan.
