Hog producers should expect 2000 hog slaughter to be about 4 percent below last year's record slaughter of 101.5 million head. Plain said he thinks the number of hog farms will continue to decline and the average size of hog farms will continue to increase. As always, production efficiency is a must. There is little need for hog farms which do not efficiently convert grain into meat. Equally important is the ability to manage price risk.
Lenders are likely to force producers to adopt effective price management strategies.
Plain's comments will kick off the day-long conference, which aims to help swine producers make more money through better production management, marketing and business decisions. These topics will all be addressed at the conference along with a discussion of what producers in other countries are doing to stay globally competitive. What Other Countries Are Doing With Their Industry to Stay Globally Competitive. Tools to Manage Price Risk. Steps To Control Risk in a Swine Business.