National & World Ag News Headlines Pork Producers Still Reeling from Misnaming of Flu, False Accusations USAgNet - 05/28/2009 The Congressional Research Service has released a report which indicates 25 percent to 33 percent of U.S. hog producers may be adversely impacted by the A-H1N1 flu, originally called the "swine flu," and the U.S. pork industry could lose up to $400 million in the next few months due to lower market prices. "Reduced demand for pork could have adverse ripple effects throughout the hog sector, resulting in production changes as producers respond to lower prices," the report states. "Hog producers may choose to curtail planned farrowing and/or decrease their demand for weaned feeder pigs; or they may choose to liquidate or reduce herd sizes, if lower prices result in low/negative meat-to-feed profit margins." Just a couple days after the report's release, Mexico's agriculture department confirmed that the influenza strain did not originate from hogs at a Smithfield Foods operation that had been singled out by some as the source of the virus. The pigs also tested negative for other viruses. "Before the flu outbreak, pork producers were losing money, but things were looking up because we were heading into the grilling season. When this flu was misnamed, things went south, and producers' losses nearly doubled," said Neil Dierks, chief executive officer of the National Pork Producers Council. "Speculation on the A-H1N1 flu's connections to the Mexican farm specifically and to hog farms generally would be irresponsible and would only bring further injury and pain to pork producers for something that was not of their making." Copyright © 2010 - USAgNet.com. All Rights Reserved.