January 11, 2017

US farms are populated by some 71.5 million hogs and pigs as of Dec. 1, up 4% from December 2015, and up slightly from Sept. 1, 2016, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report of the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Of the total number, 65.4 million were market hogs and 6.09 million were kept for breeding.

Between September and November 2016, there were 32.3 million pigs weaned on US farms, up 5% from the same period one year earlier. A record high average of 10.63 pigs per litter was registered.

A total of 2.97 million sows are intended to farrow between December 2016 and February 2017, and 3 million between March and May 2017.

Among the states, Iowa accounted for the largest inventory at 22.4 million head, followed by North Carolina with 9.30 million and Minnesota, 8.30 million.

NASS had surveyed around 10,500 producers, who were asked to report their hog and pig inventories as of Dec. 1, 2016.