Many producers, especially those not normally utilizing risk management tools
like hedging of the hogs and inputs such as grain, have been losing money for the past 20 months.
The failure of the market to turn higher in May amid the late-April outbreaks of H1N1 influenza, initially called swine flu, has been "a back breaker" for many producers. This is especially true for mid-size and smaller independent operators, said a veteran livestock dealer in the western corn belt.
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