Growing hog populations and dropping beef prices could mean some uncertainty for hog prices.

Tyler Fulton, Director of Risk Management of Hams Marketing Services, says hog slaughter is anticipated to increase five to seven per cent over the next eight weeks.

However, when this subsides, cheap beef and a growing US chicken inventory could cause pork prices to go down.

Fulton thinks there are some good margins right now in current forward prices, but the Canadian dollar could change that.

"It's now up to the highest level we've seen in several weeks anyways when you see the dollar appreciate that's a direct discount from the prices that hog producers are receiving."

Fulton says there would be decent value in producers pricing-in about a quarter of winter and spring productions.

Individual cuts are holding up well in terms of the prices they're running at, however that could change over the coming weeks.

"The expectation however is that when a big featuring period for the month of October that's known as national pork month in the US subsides it's expected that pork values are likely to decline fairly quickly."

A seasonal five to seven per cent increase in hog slaughter is expected over the next eight weeks.