Hog production in Iowa leads the nation
IOWA - The sign at the border could read "Pigs-R-Us," or "We're No. 1!" Iowa continues to lead the nation in hog and pig production, with 16.4 million hogs and pigs on the state's farms as of Dec. 1, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.That inventory is up 100,000 head from a year ago, but down 100,000 from Sept. 1.
Iowa's hog population represents 26.8 percent of U.S. hogs and translates roughly to five hogs for every human in the state.
The September to November pig crop was 4.1 million head with a total of 455,000 sows giving birth to an average of nine pigs per sow. Producers planned to farrow 440,000 head of sows and gilts from December through February. Farrowing intensions for March to May also are 440,000, a figure that would be equal to the 2005 period.
North Carolina has the nation's second largest hog population at 9.8 million hogs with Minnesota third nationally at 6.6 million hogs.
Ernie Peters raises about 5,500 hogs at his farm southeast of Portsmouth in Shelby County and likes the way the business is going these days.
"It's been real good for probably five-six years now," he said.
Source: Daily Nonpareil
3 January 2006
2 minute read
