Hog profits continue despite larger herds
US - Despite raising the largest number of hogs in 51 years, Iowa hog producers appear headed for a record number of consecutive months of profit.
2 October 2006
2 minute read
The U.S. Department of Agriculture's quarterly hogs and pigs report released Friday said that on Sept. 1 there were 16.9 million hogs and pigs on Iowa farms.
That's an increase of about 2 percent from a year ago, and more than 2 percent from June 1.
The USDA said that's the largest number of Iowa hogs since September 1955, when there were 17.2 million hogs and pigs on Iowa farms. It is the third largest Iowa hog inventory since estimates began in 1866.
There were 62.7 million hogs on U.S. farms on Sept. 1, the USDA report said. That's a 1 percent increase from a year ago.
Despite the larger number of hogs on farms, analysts said they expect hog operations to stay profitable at least through June 2007, which would set a new record for consecutive months of profitability.
Source: Des Moines Register
