Low Feed Costs Offer Increased Profit Margins

Aug 07, 2026

By Jeff Lehmkuhler

The weather this year has been extreme. Early this spring in Kentucky we had significant dry conditions across large regions of the state. Those in Liberty experienced lingering drought leading to water restrictions. June brought record rainfall across the central area of the state with flooding in Richmond and other areas. Viewing the U.S. Drought monitor maps, conditions in the southeast have improved slightly, though the Carolinas and Virginia are still dry as is much of the west.

With weather conditions slowing herd expansion coupled with continued demand of beef, prices this fall are expected to remain strong with feeder futures remaining near $350/cwt. Continued stable corn and soybean CME market prices lends support to reasonable feed prices through this fall. As summer marches forward, forage productivity and quality may limit suckling calf performance.

Source : osu.edu

Video: Food Inflation and Pork Demand - Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, discusses how food inflation is reshaping Canadian protein demand. He explains why pork remains competitively priced, consumer behavior, and why transparency, AI-assisted shopping, and protein demand will matter in the years ahead. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The potential of pork is there. We just need to see the product assume that role and take it away because all the elements are there."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Management and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. His research focuses on food distribution, food policy, food safety, food security, and traceability. Dr. Charlebois has written four books and more than 500 peer-reviewed and scientific articles. He holds a BComm from the Royal Military College, an MBA from UQAM, and a DBA from the University of Sherbrooke. Learn more from Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.