Mar 29, 2021

U.S. hog inventory drops two percent

Posted Mar 29, 2021 4:00 PM

The USDA says there were 74.8 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms as of March first. The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report says that the number is down two percent from March 2020, and three percent lower than December first of last year. Among the other key findings, the USDA’s National Ag Statistics Service says of the 74.8 million hogs and pigs, 68.6 million were market hogs, while 6.21 million were kept for breeding.

Between December and February, producers weaned 33.3 million pigs, down one percent from the same period a year earlier. U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 10.94 pigs per litter between December and February of this year. Producers intend to have 3.07 million sows farrow between March and May of this year and 3.12 million sows farrow between June and August of 2021.

Iowa hog producers have the largest inventory among the states at 23.8 million head. Minnesota was second with nine million head, and North Carolina was third at 8.5 million. To get an accurate measurement of the American swine industry, NASS surveyed almost 5,000 operators across the nation during the first half of March. The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report is available at www.nass.usda.gov.