Hog Prices Today: National Direct Hog Carcass Prices
Today’s hog prices from the USDA’s National Daily Direct Hog report: the weighted average carcass base price and net price that packers paid producers, plus head counts and average weights. These are the prices most commercial hog producers track.
Last updated: September 29, 2026
National direct hog prices (producer sold)
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Carcass base price | $80.42/cwt |
| Average net price | $82.14/cwt |
| Head count | 225,775 |
| Average live weight | 286.4 lb |
| Average carcass weight | 215.3 lb |
Source: USDA AMS Market News, National Daily Direct Hog Prior Day Report – Slaughtered Swine, report for September 29, 2026. Prices are end-of-day USDA figures, not live quotes, and can differ from what your local buyer pays. Updated every weekday evening. Not financial advice.
Looking for older prices? See hog price history: yearly and monthly USDA prices with long-term charts.
Understanding Hog Prices
- Carcass base price: the price per hundredweight of carcass weight before quality premiums and discounts.
- Net price: the base price plus or minus premiums for leanness, loin depth and sort loss. This is closer to what producers are actually paid.
- Carcass vs live weight: a market hog of about 285–290 lb live yields a carcass of roughly 215–220 lb (about 75%).
- Producer sold: hogs bought from independent producers, as opposed to hogs owned by packers.
What About Whole Hogs for Your Freezer?
Direct-to-consumer whole or half hogs from small farms are priced very differently from these commodity prices. Buyers usually pay a hanging-weight price plus butcher fees, which reflects small-scale feed, processing and labor costs.
What Moves Hog Prices
- Seasonal supply: hog numbers are usually tighter in summer, pushing prices up
- Pork exports, especially to Mexico, China, Japan and South Korea
- Feed costs (corn and soybean meal)
- Animal disease risks such as African swine fever overseas
See all farm market prices and the most profitable farm animals for small farms.
FAQ
What is the price of hogs per pound today?
Divide the carcass price per cwt by 100 to get the price per pound of carcass weight.
What is the difference between base price and net price?
The net price adds or subtracts premiums and discounts for carcass quality, so it is usually a little higher than the base price.
Why is the report for the prior day?
USDA’s daily direct hog report summarizes the previous day’s slaughter purchases, so prices lag by one business day.
Is this financial advice?
No. These are public USDA prices for information only.