Officials with Mexico’s agriculture department  announced test results indicating the H1N1 influenza strain that infected 4,300 people in 33 countries did not originate from hogs at a Smithfield Foods operation in Veracruz. The hogs at the Granjas Carroll de México farm also tested negative for other viruses.  April 24 was the first day the flu outbreak received broad media coverage. At that time, pork producers were already losing approximately $17.17 on every hog marketed, according to an analysis conducted by the American Farm Bureau Federation.  Regarding Monday to Thursday of this week, Jim Sartwelle, AFBF economist, notes, “The base price for the pork market formula increased $5.06 per hundredweight (cwt.) to $61.60/cwt. The big story is that $61.60 is $1.39 cwt. higher than the base price was on April 24. The ‘real’ cash price (negotiated cash) was $1.36 higher than the market formula base. Bottom line is that after two and a half weeks, the cash market has gotten itself back above pre-H1N1 levels.�