Introduction

This document aims to pull together, in one place of reference, all the various information generated by the USDA Quarterly report. This document includes:

• USDA Quarterly Report: June 2011
• What It All Means - Expert Commentary
• In the News - What the Media Says
• Graph Data from the Report
• Hog Inventories by State (external link - select State and navigate to file)

For a PRINTABLE VERSION of the full 16-page report in PDF format, including all the tabular data that is not shown in this article, please click here

USDA Quarterly Pigs and Hogs Report: June 2011

US Hog Inventory Up One Per Cent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on 1 June 2011 was 65.0 million head. This was up one per cent from 1 June 2010, and up two per cent from 1 March 2011.

Breeding inventory, at 5.80 million head, was up slightly from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 59.2 million head, was up one per cent from last year, and up two per cent from last quarter.

The March-May 2011 pig crop, at 28.9 million head, was up slightly from 2010 but down one per cent from 2009. Sows farrowing during this period totalled 2.88 million head, down two per cent from 2010 and down five per cent from 2009. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 per cent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 10.03 for the March-May 2011 period, compared to 9.81 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.

Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Inventory
United States: 1 June

United States hog producers intend to have 2.87 million sows farrow during the June-August 2011 quarter, down three per cent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2010, and down three per cent from 2009. Intended farrowings for September-November 2011, at 2.85 million sows, are down one per cent from 2010 and down two per cent from 2009.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 45 per cent of the total United States hog inventory, up from 44 per cent last year.

Revisions

All inventory and pig crop estimates for June 2010 through March 2011 were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and updated import and export data. Based on the findings of this review, an adjustment of less than one half of one per cent was made to the December 2010 total inventory. An adjustment of less than one half of one per cent was made to the March 2011 total inventory. An adjustment of more than one per cent was made to the September- November 2010 pig crop.

What the commentators and industry thinkers read into this data:

Ron Plain Ron Plain on the Hogs and Pigs Report USDA's June hogs and pigs report said the hog herd was slightly larger than pre-release trade forecasts, writes Ron Plain.

Steve Meyer, Paragon Economics, Inc Market Preview: Breeding/Farrowing Intentions Economist Steve Meyer writes, "Friday's quarterly Hogs and Pigs report from USDA contained no real surprises and will be viewed as neutral by today's trade"

Jim Long Pork Commentary: US Hogs and Pigs Report "US lean hogs reached over $1.00 lean last week. Some individual net lots exceeded $1.10 lean per pound. No matter how you figure it the average market hog is bringing over $200 per head. These are record prices, writes Jim Long

Chris Hurt, Purdue University Pork Outlook Looks Up As Corn Prices Go Down Chris Hurt comments on the latest USDA Hogs and Pigs report.

In The News - What The Media Says

• CME: Hogs and Pigs Report Turns Out as Expected - CME
• Cash Hog Prices Surge to Record Highs - AgEBB
• Low Farrowing Forecast for Next Six Months - AgEBB

Graph Data from the Report

Quarterly Litter Rate – United States


Pigs per Litter by Size of Operation
United States: March-May 2011


Quarterly Sows Farrowed – United States


Quarterly Pig Crop – United States

Reliability of 1 June Hogs and Pigs Estimates

To review this information, including the Survey Procedures, Estimation Procedures, Revision Policy and Reliability, please download the PDF.

Quarterly Hogs and Pigs Report, June 2011 - USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service