December 28, 2007

US pig inventory surges by 4 percent

US released its inventory report of hogs and pigs on December 1, 2007, which totaled 65.1 million head, up 4 percent on-year, yet down 1 percent from September 2007.  

Breeding inventory, at 6.16 million head, was up 1 percent on-year, and up slightly from the previous quarter. 

Market hog inventory, at 59 million head, climbed 5 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last quarter. 

The September-November 2007 pig production, at 28.0 million head, was up 4 percent from 2006 and up 7 percent from 2005. 

Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.03 million heads, up 3 percent from 2006 and up 4 percent from 2005.  The sows farrowed represent 49 percent of the breeding herd. 

US hog producers target 2.98 million sows farrowed during the December 2007-February 2008 quarter, up 2 percent the same period in 2007. 

Intended farrowings for the second quarter of 2008 is at 3.04 million sows increasing slightly from 2007 and up 4 percent from 2006. 

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 39 percent of the total US hog inventory, achieving a 38-percent growth from last year.