Hogs and Pigs Down Two Percent

Cindy ZimmermanSwine, usda

hogsThe latest report from USDA shows another drop in the hogs and pigs inventory from a year ago, but an increase from last quarter.

As of September 1, there were 65.4 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 2 percent from September 2013, but up 6 percent from June 1, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Other key findings in the report were:
Of the total, 59.4 million were market hogs, 5.92 million for breeding.
Between June and August 2014, 29.5 million pigs were weaned, down 1 percent from last year.
U.S. hog producers intend to farrow 2.89 million sows next quarter.
U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 10.16 pigs per litter.

With 20.7 million head, Iowa hog producers had the largest inventory among the states. North Carolina and Minnesota had the second and third largest inventories with 8.4 million and 7.7 million head, respectively. While the national hogs and pigs inventory is down from September 2013, growers in Texas and South Dakota have increased the number of hogs and pigs in their states.