Farm Progress America, September 30, 2024

Mike Pearson tells listeners about the quarterly pigs and hogs report from the USDA.

The report was viewed as slightly bearish for prices.

The total hog inventory on Sept. 1 was at 76.5 million-- up slightly from last year and the previous quarter.

Market hogs --which makes up the bulk of the herd stands at 70.4 million-- 2 percent increase from June.

The breeding herd declined by 2 percent from June. The breeding herd stands at 6 million.

The breeding herd decline was slightly larger than anticipated which could bring a tighter supply.

This drop met the economists projections.

The breeding herd is decreasing-- however, litters are getting bigger and stand at 11.72.

The sow herd is decreasing but pig number is staying high.

Iowa stands as the dominant hog producer, with 25 million hogs followed by Minnesota and North Carolina.

The hog slaughter size did increase 1.9 percent to 180 pounds.

Farm Progress America is a daily look at key issues in agriculture. It is produced and presented by Mike Pearson, farm broadcaster and host of This Week in Agribusiness .