Many pork producers are poised to have a very strong second half of the year, experts say. As a lender, Chris Ford, vice president corporate swine lender with Farm Credit, says he knows the risks are out there, but he’s cautiously optimistic that producers have the potential to drive home a win.
“One thing that we have seen for the first half of 2025 is the ability for many producers to print black ink,” Ford says. “We have shown profits so far in 2025 in many cases.”
According to Iowa State University’s 2025 estimated returns for farrow-to-finish operations through April, each of those months show a profit for 2025 in theory when it comes to the markets, the cost of corn and the cost of pigs, Ford adds.
“All those things have aligned to say, theoretically, there were profits out there to be had,” Ford says. “And a lot of producers did. I wouldn’t say that’s in every case, but the profit potential was definitely there for most producers, at least for the first half.”
What’s the Profitability Outlook?
As the industry comes together at World Pork Expo and looks ahead to the second half of the year, one of the first things on Ford’s mind is the corn market.
“Corn is a significant component of producing animals,” he says. “The corn market is very advantageous to the swine producer right now, sitting at $4 to $4.50. Producers have an opportunity again.”
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