Hog Inventory Report

LINCOLN, Neb., December 23, 2011 -- Nebraska inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2011, was 3.15 million head, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office. This was unchanged from December 1, 2010, but down 3 percent from September 1, 2011. Breeding hog inventory, at 385,000 head, was up 3 percent from December 1, 2010, and up 1 percent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 2.77 million head, was down slightly from last year and down 4 percent from last quarter.

The September-November 2011 Nebraska pig crop, at 1.87 million head, was up 3 percent from 2010. Sows farrowing during the period totaled 180,000 head, unchanged from last year.

Nebraska hog producers intend to farrow 180,000 sows during the December 2011-February 2012 quarter, up 3 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period a year ago. Intended farrowings for March-May 2012 are 185,000 sows, unchanged from the actual farrowings during the same period the previous year.

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2011 was 65.9 million head. This was up 2 percent from December 1, 2010, but down 1 percent from September 1, 2011. Breeding inventory, at 5.80 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last quarter.

The September-November 2011 pig crop, at 29.0 million head, was up 2 percent from 2010. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, up slightly from 2010. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the December 2011-February 2012 quarter, up 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011, but down slightly from 2010. Intended farrowings for March-May 2012, at 2.89 million sows, are down 1 percent from 2011, and down 1 percent from 2010.