USDA Hogs & Pigs: US hog inventory down 1%
US inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2020 was 77.5 million head, down 1% from December 1, 2019United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2020 was 77.5 million head. This was down 1% from December 1, 2019, and down 1% from September 1, 2020. Breeding inventory, at 6.28 million head, was down 3% from last year, and down 1% from the previous quarter.
Market hog inventory, at 71.2 million head, was down 1% from last year, and down 1% from last quarter. The September-November 2020 pig crop, at 35.0 million head, was down 1% from 2019.
Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.16 million head, down 1% from 2019. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.05 for the September-November period, compared to 11.09 last year.
United States hog producers intend to have 3.12 million sows farrow during the December 2020-February 2021 quarter, up 2% from the actual farrowings during the same period one year earlier, and up 1% from the same period two years earlier. Intended farrowings for March-May 2021, at 3.12 million sows, are down 1% from the same period one year earlier, and down slightly from the same period two years earlier.
The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 48% of the total United States hog inventory, unchanged from the previous year.
Revisions
All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2019 through September 2020 were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and updated import and export data. The revision made to the September 2020 all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.8%.
A revision of 2.7% was made to the June-August 2020 pig crop. The net revision made to the June 2020 all hogs and pigs inventory was 2.9%.
A net revision of 0.8% was made to the March-May 2020 pig crop. The net revision made to the March 2020 all hogs and pigs inventory was 1.9%.
A net revision of 2.8% was made to the December 2019-February 2020 pig crop. The net revision made to the December 2019 all hogs and pigs inventory was 1.2%.
A net revision of 1.0% was made to the September-November 2019 pig crop.