As of March 1, there were 74.6 million hogs and pigs on US farms, up 1% from March 2023 but down 2% from Dec. 1, 2023, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published last week by the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Other key findings in the report were:

• Of the 74.6 million hogs and pigs, 68.6 million were market hogs, while 6.02 million were kept for breeding.
• Between December 2023 and February 2024, 33.1 million pigs were weaned on US farms, up 2% from the same time period one year earlier.
• From December 2023 through February 2024, US hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.53 pigs per litter.
• U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.92 million sows farrow between March and May 2024, and 2.99 million sows farrow between June and August 2024.
• Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, at 25.2 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 9.10 million head. North Carolina was third with 7.40 million head.

To obtain an accurate measurement of the US swine industry, NASS surveyed 4,509 operators across the nation during the first half of March. The data collected were received online through NASS’s Respondent Portal, by mail, telephone and through face-to-face interviews.