Slight uptick in state hog, pig inventories

On June 1, 2023, there were 23.8 million hogs and pigs on Iowa farms, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service — Hogs and Pigs report. Inventory was up 1% from the previous quarter and up 3% from the previous year.

The March-May 2023 quarterly pig crop was 5.41 million head, up slightly from the previous quarter but down 6% from last year. A total of 460,000 sows farrowed during this quarter. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.75 for the quarter.

As of June 1, producers planned to farrow 500,000 sows and gilts in the June-August 2023 quarter and 510,000 head during the September-November 2023 quarter.

Nationally, the United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1, 2023, was 72.4 million head. This was up slightly from June 1, 2022, but down 1% from March 1, 2023.

Breeding inventory, at 6.15 million head, was down slightly from last year, but up 1% from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 66.2 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down 1% from last quarter.

The March-May 2023 pig crop, at 32.9 million head, was up 1% from 2022. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.90 million head, down 2% from 2022. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48% of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.36 for the March-May period, compared to 11.00 last year.

United States hog producers intend to have 2.94 million sows farrow during the June-August 2023 quarter, down 4% from the actual farrowings during the same period one year earlier, and down 4% from the same period two years earlier. Intended farrowings for September-November 2023, at 2.95 million sows, are down 4% from the same period one year earlier, and down 3% 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 51% of the total United States hog inventory, up 1% from the previous year.

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