Farms.com Home   News

USDA Releases September 2024 Hogs and Pigs Report: Key Takeaways for the Swine Industry

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has published its latest Hogs and Pigs report for September 2024, providing critical data on inventory levels and key production trends in the swine industry. The following are the main highlights of the report:

Inventory Overview

  • The total inventory of hogs and pigs in the United States as of September 1, 2024, was 74.8 million head, reflecting a slight decrease of 1% compared to the same period last year.
  • The breeding inventory was reported at 6.13 million head, also down 1% from the previous year.
  • Market hog inventory reached 68.7 million head, down 1% from 2023.

Breeding and Farrowing Intentions

  • The report indicates that the number of sows farrowing during the June-August 2024 period totaled 2.92 million head, which was 2% below the same period a year earlier.
  • The number of pigs saved per litter was reported at an average of 11.3, relatively unchanged from the previous year.
Click here to see more...

Trending Video

ASF Control Lessons - Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith

Video: ASF Control Lessons - Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith


In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith, Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria, shares what decades of work have revealed about ASF control. She explains why vaccine development remains difficult, how human activity and food waste drive disease spread, why resistant pig populations are an important research area, and how strict biosecurity with the right disinfectants can help to stop transmission. Listen now on all major platforms!

"It's really a very human-driven disease because people move pigs, decide how they're raised, how they're sold, and good biosecurity can do anything to ensure control."

Meet the guest: Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith / mary-louise-penrith-2b12bb42 is an Extraordinary Professor in the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. A veterinarian and internationally recognized researcher, she has dedicated decades to African swine fever epidemiology, control, and pig health, supporting FAO and WOAH initiatives while advancing research and education. Listen to Dr. Mary-Louise Penrith on the Swine Health Blackbelt Podcast, available on all major platforms.