what hogs will do. It is not possible to predict the future. All I can do is look at the past and see if it might give the least hint of the future.

Here is what I see:

- Packer produced hogs have declined in weight from 215.72# on 4/21/17 to 206.74# on 6/22/17, a decline of 8.98# and I ask, "WHY?"

- One year ago during the same time period packer produced hogs declined by 5.95# and I ask myself, "WHY?"

- Total carcass weights have declined from 214.22# on 4/21/17 to 207.62# on 6/22/17, a decline of 6.06# and I ask myself, "Why?"

- One year ago during the same time period total carcass weights declined by 6.27# and I ask myself, "WHY?"

- The last H&P report projected that the inventory of hogs that would be coming to market for the last 5-weeks was 4.09% higher than last year but the kill for the last five-weeks has only been up 2.75% and I ask myself, "WHY?"

- One-year ago the primal cuts were at 87.20 and Friday they were reported up 1.83 at 101.15 even though total pork production this year is somewhat higher than last year and I ask myself, "WHY?"

- In the last five weeks the percentage of packer-produced hogs slaughtered was 33.3%. During the same time period one-year the percentage was 32.7% and I ask myself, "WHY?"

- From the afternoon reports on Friday the model projected that the Purchase Index for 6/23/17 would be up $0.41 and I ask myself, "WHY?"

I'm going to bed now. And maybe I will dream up some answers to some of those questions by the time the morning reports come out and I have to report the final Purchase Index for 6/23/17 to you.

Best wishes,

Doc