Pig outlook: Lean hog futures bulls still in driver’s seat

Livestock analyst Jim Wyckoff reports on global pig news

27 June 2025

3 minute read

By: Jim Wyckoff

North America

The lean hog futures market remains very solid from a technical perspective as prices are trending up on the daily bar chart, with no early clues of a market top being close at hand. Hog futures have also been supported recently by building gains in the CME lean hog index. The index was up another 89 cents to $110.44 as of June 23--at the highest level since August of 2022. The cash hog index shows no signs of slowing down. Pork cutout values see bellies continue to rise ahead of anticipated bacon lettuce tomato (BLT) features the next couple months.Latest USDA and other news regarding the global pork industry

Latest USDA and other news regarding the global pork industry

US trade deals on hold pending GOP tax-and-spending bill

The Trump administration is delaying the announcement of new trade deals until Congress passes the Republicans’ massive tax and spending bill, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. The so-called “megabill,” currently the subject of heated negotiations, includes major tax cuts and spending provisions and is expected to be finalized around the July 4th congressional recess. Hassett said the administration is “very close” to finalizing trade arrangements with several countries but is deliberately holding off until the tax bill is enacted. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent echoed the strategy, arguing that a stable domestic tax environment will strengthen the U.S. position in global trade negotiations and provide greater certainty to American businesses. Passage of the bill is seen as a prerequisite for unlocking trade agreements with nations including India, Japan, and Vietnam, and for addressing issues such as digital taxes on U.S. businesses abroad. Once the bill passes, officials say a wave of trade deal announcements is expected, potentially reshaping the U.S. economic landscape and its global alliances.

Nebraska meatpacking plant bets on Americans as immigration crackdown tightens

New facility offers higher wages, daytime shifts, and better conditions to attract local workers amid labor shortages

A new $400 million meatpacking plant in North Platte, Nebraska, “ is offering $22-an-hour starting pay, health insurance, ergonomic workstations, and a single daytime shift in hopes of attracting American workers as immigration restrictions reduce the traditional labor pool, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Sustainable Beef’s opening is a big bet for a town hit by years of job losses and declining population.

“We needed to do something to stay relevant,” city council member Pete Volz told the Wall Street Journal. Over half of US front-line meatpacking workers are immigrants, but President Trump’s recent immigration crackdown - including ending programs for migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela - is squeezing the workforce industrywide.

Some residents are wary of demographic change and increased crime, but the plant’s modern approach aims to draw locals into jobs once dominated by immigrants. “This isn’t the same old meatpacking plant!” ads proclaim.

Still, most dangerous production jobs are filled by Hispanic immigrants, many with prior experience.

“Their response was, that’s beneath them. That’s a dirty job for immigrants,” said local forklift driver Keenan Taylor, describing neighbors’ reluctance.

Sustainable Beef faces high cattle prices and tough competition from industry giants like Tyson and JBS, but its founders hope improved work conditions and local hiring will be a model for the future. As co-founder Trey Wasserburger said, “What we’re doing has never been done before.”