December 30, 2005

US pig numbers up slightly in December
 

According to the USDA, pig numbers on American farms reached 61.2 million head as of Dec 1, up slightly from the same period last year.

Breeding inventory totalled 6.01 million head, a rise of 1 percent on-year. Market pig inventory also rose slightly compared with the same period in 2004, to reach 55.2 million head.

2.89 million sows farrowed in the US during the September to November quarter.

2.88 million sows are expected to farrow during the December 2005 to February 2006 quarter, up one percent on-year.