From USDA Reports. www.usda.gov
United States Hog Inventory Up 1 Percent
United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2015 was 68.3 million head. This was up 1 percent from December 1, 2014, and up slightly from September 1, 2015. This is the highest inventory of all hogs and pigs since quarterly United States estimates began in 1988.
Breeding inventory, at 6.00 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 62.3 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up slightly from last quarter. This is the highest market hog inventory since quarterly United States estimates began in 1988.
The September-November 2015 pig crop, at 30.3 million head, was down 1 percent from 2014. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, down 4 percent from 2014. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.53 for the September-November period, compared to 10.23 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 8.20 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.60 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
United States hog producers intend to have 2.84 million sows farrow during the December-February 2016 quarter, down 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2015, but up 3 percent from 2014. Intended farrowings for March-May 2016, at 2.85 million sows, are down slightly from 2015, but up 1 percent from 2014.
The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 46 percent of the total United States hog inventory, unchanged from last year.
Revisions
All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2014 through September 2015 were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and updated import and export data. The net revision made to the June 2015 all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.2 percent. A revision of 0.1 percent was made to the March-May 2015 pig crop. A revision of 0.3 percent was made to the September 2015 all hogs and pigs inventory.
Source: USDA