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Show jXWc NMJGrilQW ' j Los Angeles, June 11, 193S Livestock markets are featured by an active demand for good quality, grain-fed steers, and a higher trend in hog prices. This situation situa-tion holds true on the coast as well as middle western markets. General feeling is that there may continue to be comiparatively light supplies of the better grades of fed cattle and hogs for at least another 60 days. Hog prices, in advancing at this time, follow the normal course of the hog market., as generally the period of lightest marketings takes place during the summer months. Restocking is expected soon to be under full swing in many of the states which have suffered from drouth; notably the "dust bowl" plains area and the western por tion of what is known as the "corn belt". The degree of restocking may be tempered to a great ex tent by agility of farmers to finance fin-ance the purchase of breeding stock. However, the splendid crop prospects in those areas are bouna to lead to considerable buying ot breeding stock, a factor which may keep some stock out of slaughter slaugh-ter channels during the next year. Restocking on the other hand is expensive, due to the relatively high values of breeding stock, so it seems very doubtful if the country is faced with over-production of meat animals for some time to come. An interesting feature of ,the hog situation has been brought about by imports cf foreign pork Drodncts. American packers were for many years content to rner-chandize rner-chandize hams and sausages in volume, without much effort to-"'avrls to-"'avrls improving the taste appeal of the products. But the shortage of pork in the United States caused caus-ed f:rein countries to export sre-'ial pork products to the United Unit-ed States and the American people peo-ple found the foreign products often more appetizing and attractive attrac-tive than the domestic product. Result is, there is continued demand de-mand for foreign pork specialties and American meat paokers are making great efforts to develop pork products even more appealing appeal-ing than foreign (brands. Have you noticed during the last year or two improvements made by American packers in improving the flavor of hams ? Foreign competition with United States packers may lead to greatly great-ly increased consumption of pork products. If that develops, perhaps the foreign imports of pork products pro-ducts will have indirectly aided United States hog producers. |