June 27, 2011

USDA releases quarterly swine inventory survey

The USDA reported limited changes to the size of the US swine herd in its quarterly hogs and pigs inventory report, released on Friday (Jun 24).

According to the Agricultural Statistics Board of the USDA, US inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 2011 was 65 million head, up 1% from June 1 2010, and up 2% from March 1 2011.

Breeding inventory, at 5.8 million head, was up slightly from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 59.2 million head, was up 1% from last year, and up 2% from last quarter.

The March-May 2011 pig crop, at 28.9 million head, was up slightly from 2010 but down 1% from 2009. Sows farrowing during this period totalled 2.88 million head, down 2% from 2010 and down 5% from 2009.

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.03 for the March-May 2011 period, compared to 9.81 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.5 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.1 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

US hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the June-August 2011 quarter, down 3% from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2010, and down 3% from 2009. Intended farrowings for September-November 2011, at 2.85 million sows, are down 1% from 2010 and down 2% from 2009.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head but raised by contractees accounted for 45% of the total US hog inventory, up from 44% last year.