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NASS: U.S. hog inventory edges up 0.5% to 76.5 million, breeding herd declines
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Summary
The National Agricultural Statistics Service reported Sept. 1 U.S. hogs and pigs inventory at 76.5 million head (up 0.5% year over year), with breeding hogs down 2.2% to 6,044,000 and market hogs slightly higher; NASS also revised several prior estimates and reported trade and weight‑group breakdowns.
The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) reported Sept. 1 U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs at 76,500,000 head, a 0.5% increase from the same date a year earlier, NASS officials said at a Sept. briefing.
"All inventory and pig crop estimates from September 2023 to June 2024 were reviewed," said Travis Averell, chief of the NASS livestock branch, summarizing revisions and current estimates. NASS said the March 1, 2024 all‑hogs estimate was revised up 0.2% to 74,700,000 head as part of the review.
The report showed the U.S. breeding herd at 6,044,000 head, down 2.2% from 2023, while market hogs were 70,400,000, up 0.7% from the prior year. Averell emphasized the distinctions between breeding and market classes when presenting the quarterly breakdowns.
Weight‑group details for market hogs included 22,000,000 head under 50 pounds (down 1.5% from 2023), 20,200,000 in the 50–119 pound group (down 1.3%), 15,000,000 in the 120–179 pound group (up 3.5%) and 13,000,000 at 180 pounds and over (up 4.8%).
NASS reported June–August farrows at 2,989,000 head, down 51,000 from a year earlier, and pick‑up weaned for the same quarter at 35,030,000 head (down 0.8%). Pigs weaned per litter rose to 11.72 from 11.61 a year earlier.
Trade and imports were a featured point: NASS said quarterly Canadian imports of feeder pigs and slaughter hogs totaled about 1,565,000 head versus roughly 1,000,729 in 2023. NASS estimated feeder pigs accounted for approximately 73% (about 1,126,000 head) of those imports and slaughter hogs the remaining 27% (about 439,000 head), both measures down from the prior year.
On market signals, Averell displayed 10‑year charts of hog and corn prices, noting July was the most recent month priced in the chart and that August prices were due the following day. Six‑month hog‑to‑corn ratios have ranged up to 16.13 in recent months; NASS noted a typical breakeven around 15.
Troy Joshua, executive director of the Agricultural Statistics Board at NASS, prefaced the briefing by citing Office of Management and Budget guidance that restricts public commentary on the report for 30 minutes after release. "OMB Statistical Policy instructs policymaking officials to refrain from making public comments regarding the content of this report within 30 minutes of this release," Joshua said.
NASS said revised estimates cover September 2023 through June 2024 and reflect updated slaughter, death loss and trade data; the agency invited questions during a scheduled Stat Chat on its website and said all published reports are available at the NASS official website.
The briefing concluded with an announcement of several upcoming NASS releases covering crop production, dairy, cattle and related statistics and a reminder that analysts should refer to the official published estimates if any discrepancy appears between the briefing and the published tables.
