Still No Expansion in US Hog Numbers

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 Friday by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). This will likely keep hog prices high and retail pork prices from coming down.

Other key findings in the report were:

• Of the 65.4 million hogs and pigs, 59.4 million were market hogs, while 5.92 million were kept for breeding.
• Between June and August 2014, 29.5 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, down 1 percent from the same time period in 2013.
• U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow between September and November 2014, and 2.87 million sows farrow between December 2014 and February 2015.
• From June through August 2014, 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.