October 30, 2006

US hog inventory up while Canada down

US inventory of all hogs and pigs on September 1, 2006 was 62.7 million head up 1 percent from a-year-ago levels, according to the USDA.

Breeding inventory, at 6.08 million head, was up 2 percent from last year and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 56.6 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, the USDA figures revealed.

In Canada, inventory of all hogs and pigs as of October 1, 2006 was 14.1 million head, down 5 percent from last year and breeding inventory fell 2 percent from last year to reach 1.62 million head, the report said.

Market hog inventory, at 12.5 million head, was down 6 percent from last year. The pig crop, at 8.06 million head, was down 4 percent from 2005.

For the US and Canada combined, inventory of all hogs and pigs for September 2006 was 76.8 million head, up slightly from September 2005 and up 1 percent from 2004.

The combined breeding inventory, at 7.70 million head, was up 1 percent from a year ago.

Market hog inventory, at 69.1 million head, was down slightly from last year.

The pig crop, at 34.8 million head, was down slightly from 2005, but up 1 percent from 2004.