March 28, 2024

Pork producers building back breeding herd

WASHINGTON — Are U.S. pork producers getting ready to expand? If the last U.S. Department of Agriculture Hogs and Pigs Report of 2022 is a signal, then the answer is yes.

While the total U.S. pig numbers were down from the last quarter of 2021, the U.S. breeding herd increased.

As of Dec. 1, the U.S. swine breeding herd was at 6.154 million, up slightly over the same time in 2021, when the herd was at 6.125 million.

Overall, swine herd numbers decreased from the same time last year.

The total U.S. swine herd as of Dec. 1 was at 73.119 million, down from 74.446 million in 2021. The market herd, at 66.696 million, was down from the same time last year, at 68.321 million.

The market hog weight categories also saw some steep decreases from year-ago numbers:

• The under 50-pound category, at 21.153 million, was down from 21.594 million a year ago.

• The 50- to 119-pound category, at 18.620 million, was down from 19.005 million a year ago.

• The 120- to 179-pound category stood at 14.095 million, down from 14.374 million a year ago.

• The 180-pound and over category, at 13.098 million, was down from 13.348 million a year ago.

Producers intend to have 2.947 million head of sows farrow in the December 2022-February 2023 time frame.

That is up from actual farrowings for the past two years — 2.929 sows farrowed in December 2021-February 2022 and 2.929 sows farrowed in December 2020-February 2021.

March-May farrowing intentions, at 2.981 million, is up from actual farrowings in 2022, at 2.967 million, but down from 2021 March-May farrowings, at 3.034 sows farrowed.

The entire December 2022-May 2023 intentions, at 5.928 million, is up from actual farrowings for that period in 2021-2022, at 5.886 million head of sows farrowed, but down slightly from two years ago, when 5.964 million head of sows farrowed in the same time frame.

Productivity increased, with the September-November pigs saved per litter at 11.22 pigs per litter, up from 11.19 a year ago and 11.13 last quarter.

The September-November pig crop, at 33.691 million, was down from the same time last year, at 34.123 million, and up from last quarter, at 33.516 million.

Jeannine Otto

Jeannine Otto

Field Editor