U.S. Is Missing Out On China's Pork Boom Because Its Pigs Are on Muscle Drugs

Hog farmers in the U.S., the world’s biggest exporter, are losing out on a big payday because of a feed ingredient that many have been giving pigs for the past 15 years.

As hog and pork prices surge in China, the top consumer, its record imports this year will be dominated by Europe, not the U.S., according to Rabobank. Like dozens of countries, China bans the use of ractopamine that is fed to more than three-quarters of American hogs to help them gain muscle faster while eating less grain.