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Illinois Pork Producers Executive Director Jennifer Tirey said
that prices continue to rise for feed, supplies, shipping and
transportation. For pork producers, it isn't as simple as simply
raising the price of a Big Mac like fast-food restaurant
McDonald's may do to make up for the increased cost.
"One, most of them are already in a contract for a particular
price and two, they don't have anywhere that they can put those
dollars. They can't really have that price put down to anyone
else so they have to eat those additional expenses," Tirey said
to The Center Square.
Tirey said although livestock prices are doing well, corn prices
have slightly increased, which means the output costs are more
expensive and things are more costly for farmers.
"But essentially, it's feast or famine. With corn prices being a
little bit higher, that's making their output costs more
expensive," she said.
According to Tirey, beef has seen a more dramatic price uptick,
as pork prices in grocery stores have "remained reasonable."
"It's so important to keep our supply chain moving in a constant
manner because that's how we keep our prices maintained at the
level we are able to keep the prices the way they are at the
grocery stores," Tirey said.
Tirey said Illinois is ranked fourth in the nation in pork
production with 1,600 hog farmers across the state.
"We just want to try to keep those farmers in business and
making sure that we can, you know, do that in a positive manner,
is really our main goal as the only pork producers," she said.
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