Significant Revisions in March Hogs & Pigs Report Raise Questions

Apr 07, 2025

The March 1 USDA Hogs and Pigs report came in much different than analysts expected. Analysts create estimates based on what the Hogs and Pigs report survey showed in the previous quarter.

“When the USDA makes revisions like they did, they do so because of the numbers that came to market,” explains Altin Kalo, chief economist at Steiner Consulting Group. “What the surveys said in September and December ended up being overly optimistic, and that’s why you had a miss.”

There are always revisions to the survey information, points out John Nalivka of Sterling Marketing, Inc. The Dec. 1 Hogs and Pigs Report released on Dec. 23, 2024, indicated the All Hogs and Pigs Inventory was 75.845 million head, up 1% from a year earlier. The Kept for Breeding category was 6.004 million head and even with a year earlier while the surveyed total of Market Hogs was indicated to be up 1% on the Dec. 1 report.

Click here to see more...

Video: Swine Biosecurity: 5 Critical Steps to Prevent Disease Transmission | LANXESS

Protecting herd health starts before anyone enters the barn. Every visitor, employee, piece of equipment and movement between farms can introduce disease risks if proper biosecurity protocols aren't followed.

In this SwineWeb Biosecurity Intelligence feature, Dr. Gisele Ravagnani of LANXESS Biosecurity Solutions explains practical steps pork producers can take to strengthen on-farm biosecurity and reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Key topics covered:

• Visitor Management: Why visitor logs, previous farm exposure and downtime requirements are essential.

• Controlled Barn Entry: How Danish entry systems establish a clear separation between clean and dirty areas.

• Shower-In/Shower-Out Protocols: The importance of dedicated clothing, footwear and controlled movement.

• Footbath Management: Proper cleaning, disinfection and maintenance practices, including the use of Virkon™ S.

• Equipment Biosecurity: Why equipment must be properly cleaned, disinfected and dried before entering production areas.