U.S. hog inventory drops one percent

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As of December 1, U.S. farms contained 77.5 million hogs and pigs, down one percent from December of 2019, and down one percent from September of 2020. Those numbers were published last week by the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. Of the 77.5 million hogs and pigs, 71.2 million were market hogs, while 6.28 million were kept for breeding.

Between September and November of this year, 35 million pigs were weaned on U.S. Farms, down one percent from the same period last year, while U.S. hog producers weaned an average of 11.05 pigs per litter.

Hog producers intend to have 3.12 million sows farrow between December of 2020 and February 2021, and 3.12 million sows farrow between March and May of next year. Iowa producers held the largest inventory among the states at 24.8 million head.

Minnesota was next with 9.4 million head, and North Carolina finished third with nine million head. To get the most accurate measurement possible of the U.S. swine industry, NASS surveyed more than 6,000 producers across the nation through the first half of December.