WASHINGTON, December 23, 2015 – As of December 1, there were 68.3 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up 1 percent from December 2014, and up slightly from September 1, 2015, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Other key findings in the report were:
Of the 68.3 million hogs and pigs, 62.3 million were market hogs, while 6.00 million were kept for breeding.
Between September and November 2015, 30.3 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, down 1 percent from the same time period one year earlier.
From September through November 2015, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned a record high average of 10.53 pigs per litter.
U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.84 million sows farrow between December 2015 and February 2016, and 2.85 million sows farrow between March and May 2016.
Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 20.8 million head.
North Carolina and Minnesota had the second and third largest inventories with 8.80 million and 7.95 million head, respectively.
To obtain an accurate measurement of the U.S. swine industry, NASS surveyed over 11,100 operators across the nation during the first half of December. Data were collected by mail, telephone and through
face-to-face interviews. All surveyed producers were asked to report their hog and pig inventories as of December 1, 2015.
The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.
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