Ami Dittmer Iowa State University

Publish Date: August 23, 2006

Hog prices historically have shown variation from month to month with a tendency for the changes to follow a degree of seasonal regularity from year to year. Because the changes during the year are repetitive or consistent, they are a useful input into production, marketing, or pricing decisions. Seasonal price changes result from changes in the supply of hogs and pork, changes in consumer demand for pork products, or a combination of these factors. Seasonal variations in pork supply are less pronounced now than they were 15 to 20 years ago. With more of the production coming from larger operations, sow farrowings are more evenly distributed throughout the year; however, there is still enough month-tomonth variation in farrowings to bring significant seasonal changes in levels of pork production. Consumer demand for pork and for particular retail cuts and products also varies somewhat from one period of the year to another.