Bacon prices rise after virus kills millions of baby pigs
Apr-09-2014

A virus never before seen in the US has killed millions of baby pigs in less than a year, and with little known about how it spreads or how to stop it, it's threatening pork production and pushing up prices by 10 percent or more.

Scientists think the porcine epidemic, which does not infect humans or other animals, came from China, but they don't know how it got into the country or spread to 27 states since last May. The federal government is looking into how such viruses might spread, while the pork industry, wary of future outbreaks, has committed $1.7 million to research the disease.

The US is both a top producer and exporter of pork, but production could decline about 7 percent this year compared to last - the biggest drop in more than 30 years, according to a recent report from Rabobank, which focuses on the food, beverage and agribusiness industries.

Already, prices have shot up: A pound of bacon averaged $5.46 in February, 13 percent more than a year ago, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Ham and chops have gone up too, although not as much.

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