October 8, 2010

 

US hogs and pigs number down 2.6% in September

 

 

All hogs and pigs on US farms totalled 64.991 million heads as of September 1, down 2.6% from a year ago, but in line with pre-report estimates that the number would be down 2.7%.

 

Hogs kept for breeding stood at 5.77 million heads, down 1.8%, analysts said. The pre-report estimates expected the number to be down 1.1%. Hogs kept for market was 59.221 million, down 2.7%, which was in line with what analysts had expected.

 

The under-50 pound category had 19.538 million heads, down 1.1%, analysts said. The pre-report estimate was for that to be down 1.3%.

 

In the 50 to 119 pound category, there are 16.81 million heads, down 2%, less than the estimated 2.7 down. In the 120 to 179 pound category, there were 12.245 million head, down 3.4%, which is close to the minus 3.3% in the pre-report estimate.

 

In the 180 pound and heavier category, there are 10.62 million heads, analysts said. That is down 5.6% from year ago, and different from pre-report estimate which was down 4.4%.

 

Farrowings for June through August was 2.905 million litters, which is 1.8% lower than a year ago, he said. Analysts had expected that number to be down 2.5%.

 

September through November farrowings are forecast at 2.881 million liters, down 1.2% as opposed to 0.8% in the pre-report estimates, analysts said.

 

December through February intentions are at 2.886 million litters, up one-half of 1%, the pre-report estimate was down one-tenth of 1%. The June through August pig crop is down seven-tenths of 1% to 28.507 million. Analysts had put the number at down 1.2%.

 

The number of pigs saved per litter was 9.81%, which was up 1.1%, off slightly from the expected increase of 1.5%.

 

Meanwhile, Ron Plain, Extension economist from the University of Missouri in Columbia, said the pigs per litter increase was a smaller increase than previous estimates and is a fairly small increase.

 

The number of pigs per littler has averaged an increase of 2.1% over the last nine quarters, Plain said. The 1.1% in the September quarterly report was the smallest increase in the last 14 quarters, back to early 2007.