Pig meat exports for 2011 were revised upward to 4.872 billion pounds, up 15.3% over 2010, due mostly to a greater-than-expected demand in the first quarter of 2011 from Asian markets like South Korea and China, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
April U.S. pork exports were over 421 million pounds, up about 19.5% from the same time in 2010. Second-quarter pork exports are forecast to be almost 1.27 billion pounds, up 17% from 2010. The revised number for all of 2011 is expected to account for 21.5% of U.S. commercial pork production. Year to date, the five largest destinations of U.S. pork exports are Japan, Mexico, South Korea, Canada and China.
Tighter than anticipated corn supplies are expected to translate to higher feed costs for producers for the rest of 2011 and into 2012, decreasing the expected dressed weights of hogs. Lighter weights are expected to marginally lower commercial production to 22.6 billion pounds in 2011 and 22.9 billion pounds in 2012.
