Minor Expansion in US Hog Herd Confirmed

Mar 30, 2023

As expected, the USDA’s latest quarterly hogs and pigs report confirmed some minor expansion in the US hog herd.

Released Thursday, the report pegged the total US inventory of all hogs and pigs as of March at 72.86 million head, up about 0.2% from 72.68 million on the same date last year. Pre-report expectations were for a slightly more aggressive year-over-year increase of 0.3%.

The March 1 breeding inventory, at 6.13 million head was up roughly 0.5% on the year, compared to trade ideas of 0.6%. The number of market hogs came in at 66.73 million, an increase of about 0.2% from 66.59 million a year ago, but still also slightly below expectations.

The December 2022-February 2023 pig crop, at 32.1 million head, was up slightly from last year. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.91 million head, down slightly from previous year. The average pigs saved per litter was 11.02 for the December 2022-February 2023 period, compared to 10.95 last year.

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Video: Season 7, Episode 1: Managing Risk and Seeing Opportunities in U.S. Pork Production

Today’s episode features three guests discussing the similarities and differences between pork production in the United States and Brazil, along with strategies for managing risk in today’s industry while recognizing and acting on opportunities. First, Dr. Anne Caroline de Lara, executive manager of live pig production at Seara Alimentos, a JBS company in Brazil, is joined by Dr. Matthew Turner, head of operations for JBS Live Pork. Together, they discuss how labor, climate and ventilation challenges vary between Brazil and the United States, while underscoring their shared commitment to raising healthy pigs. They also point to lessons producers in both countries can take from one another’s systems and on-farm experiences. Then, Brady Reicks, risk manager at Reicks View Farms, shares his perspective on risk management, drawing from his background in markets and his transition into farming. He discusses how protecting margins varies by operation and offers practical approaches producers can use to make marketing and business decisions with greater confidence rather than hesitation.

Both conversations were recorded at recent industry events focused on swine livability, including the International Conference on Pig Livability and Iowa Swine Day.