Agricultural News
USDA Hogs and Pigs Report Shows Slight Growth in Inventories
Thu, 28 Mar 2013 17:24:44 CDT
The latest USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report shows total inventory climbed by about one percent over last year.
The inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2013 was 65.9 million head. This was up 1 percent from March 1, 2012, but down 1 percent from December 1, 2012.
Speaking during a pork industry conference call following the USDA report's release, Jim Robb, director of the Livestock Marketing Information Center in Denver, said the report indicates a turning point with the supply side starting to expand.
"We would view this report overall as slightly bearish- Importantly, the weight category of 120 pounds to 179 pounds was significantly larger than our estimates and the pre-report estimates. That really means that rather near term we have some larger hog supplies than we expected pre-report." (You can hear more from Jim Robb by clicking on the LISTEN BAR at the bottom of this story.)
Breeding inventory, at 5.83 million head, was up slightly from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from last quarter.
The December 2012-February 2013 pig crop, at 29.0 million head, was up 2 percent from 2012. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, up 1 percent from 2012. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49 percent of the breeding herd.
The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.08 for the December-February period, compared to 9.97 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.50 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.10 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs.
United States hog producers intend to have 2.96 million sows farrow during the March-May 2013 quarter, down 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2012, but up 1 percent from 2011. Intended farrowings for June-August 2013, at 2.91 million sows, are down 1 percent from 2012, and down 1 percent from 2011.
The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 47 percent of the total United States hog inventory, unchanged from last year.
You can read the full USDA Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report by clicking here.
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