US and Canadian Hog Inventory Down Four Per Cent

US - This publication is a result of a joint effort by Statistics Canada and NASS to release the total hogs, breeding, market hogs, sows farrowed, and pig crop for both countries within one publication.

This information was requested by the US hog industry to provide producers additional information about potential hog supplies. US inventory numbers were previously released on 30 December 2008.

US and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs for December 2008 was 79.1 million head. This was down four per cent from December 2007 but up two per cent from December 2006. The breeding inventory, at 7.49 million head, was down three per cent from a year ago but virtually unchanged from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 71.6 million head, was down four per cent from last year and down three per cent from last quarter. The pig crop, at 36.3 million head, was down four per cent from 2007 but up three per cent from 2006. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 3.79 million head, down five per cent from last year.

US inventory of all hogs and pigs on 1 December 2008 was 66.7 million head. This was down two per cent from both 1 December 2007 and 1 September 2008. The breeding inventory, at 6.08 million head, was down two per cent from last year but up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.6 million head, was down two per cent from both last year and last quarter. The pig crop, at 28.4 million head, was down four per cent from 2007 but up 6 per cent from 2006. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 2.99 million head, down six per cent from last year.

Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on 1 January 2009 was 12.4 million head. This was down 10 per cent from 1 January 2008 and down 17 per cent from 1 January 2007. The breeding inventory, at 1.40 million head, was down seven per cent from last year and down one per cent from last quarter. Market hog inventory, at 11.0 million head, was down 11 per cent from last year and down four per cent from last quarter. The pig crop, at 7.86 million head, was down three per cent from 2008 and down four per cent from 2007. Sows farrowed during this period totaled 799,200 head, down four per cent from last year.