MN Hog Inventories Equal to 2019; National Numbers Down Slightly

On December 1, 2020, there were 9.40 million hogs and pigs on Minnesota farms, according to the latest USDA, National Agricultural Statistics Service – Hogs and Pigs report. 

The December 1 inventory is equal to the previous year, which was a record high. The September-November quarterly pig crop was 3.44 million head, down 7% from the previous quarter and down 4% from last year. 

A total of 290,000 sows farrowed during this quarter. 

The average pigs saved per litter was 11.85 for the quarter. 

As of December 1, producers planned to farrow 275,000 sows and gilts in the December 2020-February 2021 quarter and 260,000 head during the March-May 2021 quarter. 

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2020 was 77.5 million head. 

This was down 1% from December 1, 2019, and down 1% from September 1, 2020. 

Breeding inventory, at 6.28 million head, was down 3% from last year, and down 1% from the previous quarter. 

Market hog inventory, at 71.2 million head, was down 1% from last year, and down 1% from last quarter. 

The September-November 2020 pig crop, at 35.0 million head, was down 1% from 2019. 

Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.16 million head, down 1% from 2019. 

The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50% of the breeding herd. 

The average pigs saved per litter was 11.05 for the September-November period, compared to 11.09 last year. 

United States hog producers intend to have 3.12 million sows farrow during the December 2020-February 2021 quarter, up 2% from the actual farrowings during the same period one year earlier, and up 1% from the same period two years earlier. 

Intended farrowings for March-May 2021, at 3.12 million sows, are down 1% from the same period one year earlier, and down slightly from the same period two years earlier. 

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head,  but raised by contractees, accounted for 48% of the total United States hog inventory, unchanged from the previous year.