The nation’s pork reserves have reached a 50-year low, due in part to high demand for bacon, and the shortage is driving up prices, the Ohio Pork Council warned Tuesday.

“Today’s pig farmers are setting historic records by producing more pigs than ever,” Rich Deaton, president of the Ohio Pork Council, told USA Today. “Yet our reserves are still depleting.”

The inventory for frozen pork belly, the base meat cut for bacon products, reached its lowest levels since 1957, according to Department of Agriculture data. The drop caused the price to rise 20 percent in January, the council said. (RELATED: Bacon To Be Classified As Dangerous As Cigarettes By World Health Organization)

Though the price of bacon will rise until pork producers catch up to the demand, there will still be bacon at the supermarket.

“While bacon may become more expensive for consumers, rest assured pork industry will not run out of supply,” Deaton said.

Follow Thomas Phippen on Twitter

Send tips to thomas@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.