PEDv Drives Up Pork Prices

Des Moines Register:

Prices for ribs, chops, hams and other pork products in the grocery store are expected to climb as much as 15 percent this summer as supplies are slashed by a new swine virus that’s sweeping the country.
That’s tough news for consumers, also facing rapidly rising prices for beef. Shrinking hog supplies also could cause reduced hours at some meat processing plants across Iowa and the country. The disease hits just as pork producers are recovering from high corn prices.
The situation is critical for Iowa, the nation’s largest producer of pigs. Iowa producers generate about $7 billion in sales and employ about 39,000 workers caring for the state’s 20.5 million animals.
So far, producers in 26 states have reported infected herds with the highly contagious porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, known as PEDv. The virus is fatal to piglets. In less than a year, losses are estimated at 5 million.
“It’s going to have a profound impact on supplies this summer,” said Steve Meyer, an analyst at Paragon Economics in Adel. “Prices are going to get significantly higher.”
The virus poses no threat to other animals or humans. And pork products remain safe for consumers, officials say.

That's more bad news for consumers, as beef prices have risen sharply in the last year.  Overall, that's a pretty sizable price increase on my bacon cheeseburger, which is my favorite food in the world.