(BLOOMINGTON) The USDA’s quarterly hogs and pigs report released yesterday shows a modest year-over-year decline in the nation’s hog herd, projected at 74.5 million head as of September 1st. While the breeding inventory was down 2% from a year ago & down slightly from the previous quarter, the market hog inventory was down 1% from last year, but up 1% from last quarter. Officials say the report showed producers are staying disciplined & that large-scale producers are not ramping up production. The pig crop June to August was down 2.6% year-over-year, with farrowings down 3.4%, making it the smallest June to August pig crop in five years. On the other hand, the average number of pigs per litter from June to August was 11.82, setting a record high for the third consecutive quarter.
