DES MOINES, Iowa – The number of pigs saved per litter took a nice upswing according to the latest USA Quarterly Hogs and Pig Report.

Steve Meyer, senior livestock economist with Ever.Ag in Lewisville, Texas, said a highlight of the report was average pigs saved per litter; the USDA reported a record high of 11.53 for the December-February period, up 4.6 percent.

We went three years without growing this, and I think it was because we were dealing with heightened disease incidents, mainly PRRS (porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus), and some labor problems on our farms,” he said.

“But boy, in the last year, we have really caught up,” he added.“Now, as we go through the rest of this year, the year-over-year changes are not going to be nearly as dramatic.”

Meyer joined Brett Stuart, Global AgriTrends president in Preston, Idaho, and Gordon Spronk, DVM, National Pork Board member in Pipestone, Minn., to analyze the report in a March 28 webinar with reporters.

Sponsored by the National Pork Board and the Pork Checkoff in Des Moines, the report said the U.S. breeding inventory, at 6.02 million head, was down 2 percent from last year, but up slightly from the previous quarter.

“The breeding herd inventory is not going to shrink much more,” Meyer said. “I had -6 for December of this coming year, and at one time, I thought we might have to take it down 10. I’m going to be surprised if we’re down much at all year-over-year when we come to December 2024.

Last month’s total hog and pig numbers were 74.6 million head on U.S. farms, up 1 percent from March 2023, but down 2 percent from Dec. 1, 2023.

“Productivity gains are going to keep our numbers and pork supplies near or above the last years,” Meyer said. “And I don’t think we’re going to see pork supplies decline much until 2025, and given the profitability changes we’ve seen, maybe not then.”

The report said the U.S. market hog inventory, at 68.6 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, but down 2 percent from last quarter.

Meyer said, “I think we’re going to have plenty of hogs in the fourth quarter.” But, he added, “I’m pretty concerned about slaughter capacity – especially with the loss of the Perry, Iowa (Tyson Foods) plant going forward.”

The report said Iowa hog producers accounted for the nation’s largest inventory, at 25.2 million head. 

In Indiana, total hog and pig inventory was 4.4 million head, unchanged from a year ago. Breeding hog inventory, at 250,000 head, was unchanged from last March. Market hog inventory, at 4.15 million head, was unchanged from last year. The average pigs saved per litter for the December-February 2024 quarter was 11.30, compared to 11.25 last year.

In Illinois, total hog and pig inventory was 5.6 million head, up 2 percent from Dec. 1, 2023, and up 3 percent from last year. Breeding inventory, at 670,000 head, was up 40,000 from the previous quarter, and up 20,000 from last year. Market hog inventory, at 4.93 million head, was up 1 percent from last quarter, and up 3 percent from last year.

In Michigan, total hog and pig inventory was 1.22 million head, down 20,000 head from a year ago. Breeding hog inventory, at 115,000 head, was unchanged from last March. Market hog inventory, at 1.11 million head, was down 2 percent from last year. The average pigs saved per litter for the December-February 2024 quarter was 11.40, compared to 10.70 last year.

In Ohio, total hog and pig inventory was 2.5 million head, down 200,000 head from a year ago. Breeding hog inventory, at 190,000 head, was down 10,000 head from last March. Market hog inventory, at 2.31 million head, was down 8 percent from last year. The average pigs saved per litter for the December-February 2024 quarter was 11.45, compared to 10.70 last year.

Stuart said U.S. pork remains very competitive, globally: “From the global standpoint, things are good. There have been some years we’d be looking at this, going, ‘This is not going to be a great year from the export side.’ But things look really good on the export front. We’re incredibly competitive.”