Introduction

• USDA Quarterly Report: December 2011
• What It All Means - Expert Commentary
• In the News - What the Media Says
• Graph Data from the Report
• Hog Inventories by State (external link - select State and navigate to file)

For a PRINTABLE VERSION of the full 19-page report in PDF format, including all the tabular data that is not shown in this article, please click here

USDA Quarterly Pigs and Hogs Report: December 2011

United States Hog Inventory up Two Per Cent

United States inventory all hogs and pigs on 1 December 2011 was 65.9 million head. This was up two per cent from 1 December 2010, but down one per cent from 1 September 2011.

Breeding inventory, at 5.80 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down slightly from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was up two per cent from last year, but down one per cent from last quarter.

The September-November 2011 pig crop, at 29.0 million head, was up two per cent from 2010. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, up slightly from 2010. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 per cent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.02 for the September-November period, compared to 9.89 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.40 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.10 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.

Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Inventory – United States:
1 December

United States hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the December 2011-February 2012 quarter, up one per cent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011, but down slightly from 2010. Intended farrowings for March-May 2012, at 2.89 million sows, are down one per cent from 2011, and down one per cent from 2010.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 45 per cent of the total United States hog inventory, unchanged from last year.

Revisions

All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2010 through September 2011 were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and updated import and export data. Based on the findings of this review, an adjustment of less than one per cent was made to the June 2011 total inventory. An adjustment of less than one half of one per cent was made to the September 2011 total inventory. An adjustment of less than one and one half per cent was made to the March-May 2011 pig crop.

What the commentators and industry thinkers read into this data:

Ron Plain Ron Plain on the Hogs and Pigs Report USDA's December Hogs and Pigs Report said the market hog inventory was slightly larger than pre-release trade forecasts and the breeding herd was slightly smaller, writes Ron Plain.

Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, Inc Price Volatility Tempers Hogs and Pigs Projections Economist Steve Meyer writes, "USDA’s December Hogs and Pigs report contained estimates that were very much in line with analysts’ expectations."

Jim Long Pork Commentry: No Breeding Herd Expansion "The US breeding herd is holding steady and there has been no net expansion," writes Jim Long

Chris Hurt, Purdue University Hog Producers Follow Prudent Path Chris Hurt comments on the latest USDA Hogs and Pigs report.

More to follow soon...

In The News - What The Media Says

• Hogs & Pigs Report Shows Growth in Swine Breeding - AgEBB
• CME: Slow Growth in Swine Herd - CME
• CME: Hogs and Pigs Report No Big Shock - CME

Quarterly Litter Rate – United States


Pigs per Litter by Size of Operation – United States:
September-November 2011


Quarterly Sows Farrowed – United States


Quarterly Pig Crop – United States

Reliability of 1 December Hogs and Pigs Estimates

To review this information, including the Survey Procedures, Estimation Procedures, Revision Policy and Reliability, please download the PDF.

Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report, December 2011 - USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service