Iowa State University figures suggest September was the sixth consecutive month that U-S hog producers finished above break-even with their animals.
According to the University of Missouri's Ron Plain, that's also the 19th month out of the last 21 where American producers made money.
He points out that while hog prices are down sharply from a year ago, so are input costs.
Plain expects U-S hog producer profitability levels to be 'challenged' as we move into 2016.
His weekly hog outlook reports the U-S national average negotiated hog carcass price for direct delivered animals Friday was down 1.04 from the previous week - 29.40 lower than a year ago.
U-S hog slaughter last week was 2 point 318 million head - up 1 point 2 per cent from the previous week and 6 point 1 per cent higher than the same week a year ago.
