U.S. Hog Inventory Report for March 2025

Mar 31, 2025
By Farms.com

U.S. Hog Numbers Decline Slightly in 2025

As of March 1, the U.S. had 74.5 million hogs and pigs on farms, reflecting a slight decrease compared to March 2024 and a 1% drop from December 2024, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report.

Key highlights from the report include:

Out of the 74.5 million hogs, 68.5 million were market hogs, and 5.98 million were kept for breeding purposes.

From December 2024 to February 2025, U.S. farms weaned 33.7 million pigs, slightly fewer than the previous year.

The average number of pigs weaned per litter was 11.65.

U.S. producers plan to farrow 2.91 million sows between March and May 2025, with an additional 2.96 million expected to farrow from June to August 2025.

Iowa led the nation with the largest hog inventory at 24.3 million, followed by Minnesota at 9.2 million, and North Carolina at 8.1 million.

To gather accurate data, NASS surveyed 4,455 operators nationwide during early March through various methods, including online submissions, mail, phone interviews, and in-person responses.

For further details, the full report and other NASS publications can be accessed at www.nass.usda.gov.

PhotoCredit: usda

Video: Food Inflation and Pork Demand - Dr. Sylvain Charlebois

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Sylvain Charlebois, Professor and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University, discusses how food inflation is reshaping Canadian protein demand. He explains why pork remains competitively priced, consumer behavior, and why transparency, AI-assisted shopping, and protein demand will matter in the years ahead. Listen now on all major platforms!

"The potential of pork is there. We just need to see the product assume that role and take it away because all the elements are there."

Meet the guest: Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is a Professor in Dalhousie University's Faculty of Management and Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab. His research focuses on food distribution, food policy, food safety, food security, and traceability. Dr. Charlebois has written four books and more than 500 peer-reviewed and scientific articles. He holds a BComm from the Royal Military College, an MBA from UQAM, and a DBA from the University of Sherbrooke. Learn more from Dr. Sylvain Charlebois on The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, available on all major platforms.