U.S. Hog Inventory Up 1 Percent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2012 was 65.8 million head. This was up 1 percent from June 1, 2011, and up 1 percent from March 1, 2012. Breeding inventory, at 5.86 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.0 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up 1 percent from last quarter.

 

The March-May 2012 pig crop, at 29.4 million head, was up 1 percent from 2011. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.92 million head, up slightly from 2011. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd.

 

United States hog producers intend to have 2.90 million sows farrow during the June-August 2012 quarter, down 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011, and down 1 percent from 2010. Intended farrowings for September-November 2012, at 2.89 million sows, are down 1 percent from 2011, but up slightly from 2010.