September 29, 2009

US inventory of all hogs and pigs on September 1, 2009 was 66.6 million head, down 2 percent from the same period last year but up 1 percent from June 1, 2009.

According to the USDA, breeding inventory, at 5.87 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down 2 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.8 million head, was down 2 percent from last year but up 1 percent from last quarter.

The June-August 2009 pig crop, at 28.8 million head, was down 2 percent from 2008 and down 1 percent from 2007. Sows farrowing during this period totalled 2.97 million head, down 4 percent from 2008 and down 5 percent from 2007.

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.70 for the June-August 2009 period, compared to 9.51 last year.

Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.40 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 9.80 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

US hog producers intend to have 2.94 million sows farrow during the September-November 2009 quarter, down 3 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2008, and down 8 percent from 2007.

Intended farrowings for December 2009-February 2010, at 2.93 million sows, are down 3 percent from 2009 and down 5 percent from 2008.

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 US hog inventory, up from 43 percent last year.