The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service is planning to enhance the pork cutout by placing additional product into the ham primal.

The pork carcass cutout is an estimated value for a hog carcass based on current wholesale prices paid for sub-primal pork cuts. By adding individual muscles (insides, outsides and knuckles) to the ham primal, USDA contends the cutout will more accurately reflect today’s marketing environment and capture more product to be included in the weighted average calculation.

According to the AMS, the unused totals of insides, outsides and knuckles equate to 109.0 million pounds in 2013, 143.9 million pounds in 2014, 132.4 million pounds in 2015, and 44.7 million pounds in 2016.

According to analysis from USDA AMS, the enhanced cutout including insides, outsides and knuckles is expected to lower the overall carcass cutout value by an average of $1.41. The change is effective Sept. 12.

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