April 3, 2012

Inventory of all swine for the US on was 64.9 million head as of March this year, a rise by 2% from a year ago, in line with analysts' pre-report average estimate of a 1.7% increase.

Breeding inventory, at 5.82 million head, was up 1% from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter. On average, analysts were expecting breeding herd to increase only by 0.3 % from a year ago, according to a Dow Jones survey.

Market hog inventory, at 59.1 million head, was up 2% from last year, in line with analysts' average forecast of a 1.8% increase. The inventory was down 2% from last quarter.

The December 2011-February 2012 pig crop, at 28.7 million head, was up 3% from 2011. Analysts were expecting a 2.4% increase.

December-February sow farrowings totaled 2.88 million head, up 1% from 2011, at the top of the range of analysts' estimates. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd.

The average pigs saved per litter were a record high 9.97 for the December-February period, compared to 9.80 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.30 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.00 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow during the March-May 2012 quarter, down 1% from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011. Analysts on average had expected farrowings to increase 0.2% in the period.

Intended farrowings for June-August 2012, at 2.88 million sows, are down 2% from 2011, contradicting analysts' expectations that intended farrowings for the period would increase by 0.3%.