US livestock markets stall as pork rally falters and beef plant closure looms

Lean hog futures failed to generate the usual summer rally, with pork demand remaining weak and the pork cutout value slipping $3.18 to $96.45 per hundredweight. Heavier carcass weights and a slightly lower harvest of 2.402 million head kept supply abundant, while exports stay strong but are expected to level off. Iowa regained pseudorabies‑free status after a containment effort.

In the cattle sector, fed‑cattle prices were largely steady despite JBS announcing the closure of its Souderton, Pennsylvania plant on August 14, a facility that employs about 1,500 workers and processes roughly 2,000 head per day. The beef cutout has remained in a narrow $389‑$394 range, and the estimated harvest fell to 524,000 head, modestly below previous weeks. Heavier live and carcass weights are expected to offset the reduced harvest, and production is projected to rise in 2027.