According to the National Pork Producers Council, the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) 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 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 took effect September 12, 2016.