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Ag economist says tariffs will hurt pork producers

An ag economist with Purdue University says the U.S. pork industry appears to be headed for a period of large losses because of retaliatory tariffs from China and Mexico.

“And those will be especially large in the last quarter of 2018 and the first quarter of 2019,” he says. “We’re talking about the potential to be losing about $25 per head during that six-month period.”

Chris Hurt says the tariffs have come at a time when the pork industry is expanding.

“We think we’ll be up about 5 percent this summer in terms of pork supplies,” he says. “So, lots of pork coming at a time when we also have some demand problems selling that pork because of the tariffs.”

But, he tells Brownfield farmers shouldn’t make major decisions based on the current trade climate.

“Don’t make long-term decisions because there is certainly a possibly that these tariffs could be settled more quickly than later,” he says.

Hurt says the trade war is a lose-lose for U.S. producers and foreign consumers.

Audio: Chris Hurt, Purdue University