USDA LMR Wholesale 

Pork Reporting

Dillan Hull, Supervisory Market Reporter

USDA–AMS–LP-LPGMN
AMS’s Role in Wholesale Pork Reporting

Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) administers the Livestock 

Mandatory Reporting (LMR) Act of 1999 and its regulations

• For wholesale pork, there are 4 daily and 12 weekly LMR reports

• Companies are audited to ensure accuracy of data

• Preserves confidentiality of transactions
Who submits wholesale pork data to AMS?

• Federally inspected plants that slaughter or process an average of 

100,000 barrows and gilts or 200,000 sows and boars annually

• 55 plants report all transactions of hog purchases and pork sales

• LMR captures 96% of the hog and pork industry
What pork items are submitted?

• Fresh and frozen primals

• Sub-primals

• Cuts fabricated from subprimals

• Pork trimmings

• Pork for processing

• Variety meats
When and How do firms submit sales?

• Twice per weekday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Central Time

• Companies electronically submit their records in a single batch file

• Daily LMR wholesale pork reports are published 1 hour after the data is 

submitted
What does each submission include?

• Destination – domestic, 

export/overseas, NAFTA (USMCA)

• Sales Type – negotiated, forward, 

formula

• Delivery Period

• Refrigeration

• Class Code – barrow/gilt, sow, 

boar, mixed

• Product Code

• Total Weight – in pounds

• FOB Plant Price - $/cwt.

• FOB Omaha Price - $/cwt.
What is the Reporter’s role?

• On average, there are 10,000 wholesale pork records submitted each 

day

• The Reporters review the data and work with plant personnel to verify 

orders as needed 

• May be due to high or low price, odd weight, etc.

• Must review, verify, and publish data within 1 hour
Daily Reports

• National Daily Pork Report FOB Plant – Negotiated Sales

• Released in the Morning (LM_PK600) and Afternoon (LM_PK602)

• National Daily Pork Report FOB Omaha – Negotiated Sales

• Released in the Morning (LM_PK601) and Afternoon (LM_PK603)
National Daily 

Pork Report FOB 

Plant

• Negotiated Sales

• Afternoon Report

• Contains data 

from 1:30 p.m. the prior day to 

1:30 p.m. of 

current day

• Load Count

• Carcass Cutout 

Value

• Primal Values
What is the cutout?

• The pork carcass cutout value is the estimated value of a standardized pork 

carcass based upon industry-average cut yields and average market prices of 

sub-primal pork cuts

• Packaging, fabrication, and labor costs are deducted from the cutout value

• The fabrication yields are provided to USDA by packers covered under LMR

• Yields are updated the first Monday in January
What factors impact the Daily and Weekly 

Negotiated pork carcass cutout calculation?

• Destination – domestic and NAFTA

• Sales Type – negotiated

• Delivery Period – 0-14 days for boxed, 0-10 days for combo

• Refrigeration – fresh only; 0-10 for boxed, 0-6 for combo

• Class – barrows/gilts
Poll Question

Of the six primal values, 

which one has the highest 

yield to the carcass?
Answer: The Loin

Loin

25.32%

Butt

10.22%

Picnic

11.26%

Rib

4.77%

Ham

24.59%

Belly

16.14%
National Weekly Pork Reports

• Comprehensive (LM_PK680/681)

• Negotiated Sales 

(LM_PK610/611)

• Formula Sales (LM_PK620/621)

• Forward Sales (LM_PK630/631)

• Export Sales (LM_PK640/641)

• Specialty (LM_PK650/651)

**Available in FOB Plant and FOB 

Omaha**
National Weekly Pork 

Report - Comprehensive

• Released on Monday at 1 

p.m. CST

• Includes all Destinations, 

Sales Types, Delivery 

Periods, Refrigeration 

Types, and Packaging 

Styles

• Does not include any 

Specialty Items
Reference Room

• https://www.ams.usda.gov/market-news/livestock-poultry-and-grainreference-room

• A User’s Guide to USDA’s LMR Pork Reports

• A User’s Guide to USDA’s Pork Carcass Cutout

• Explains methodology and contains updated yield information
Voluntary Reports

• National Direct Feeder Pig Report (NW_LS255)

• Weekly USDA By-Product Drop Value Report - Hogs (NW_LS446)

• USDA Beef and Pork Variety Meats Report (NW_LS440)

• USDA Tallow and Protein Report (NW_LS442)

• National Monthly Pasture Raised Pork Report (lsmnprpork)
Contact Information

Dillan Hull

Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News

Email: Dillan.Hull@usda.gov

Phone: 515-284-4460