mi-press-releases News Release NR-12-23 April 2, 2012 U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Statistics Service Michigan Field Office Michigan Department of Agriculture Post Office Box 30239 Lansing, MI 48909-6248 Phone: (517) 324-5300 Facsimile: (517) 324-5299 E-mail: nass-mi@nass.usda.gov Web site: www.nass.usda.gov Jay V. Johnson, Director March Hogs and Pigs Michigan's total hog and pig inventory on March 1 was estimated at 1.0 million head, down 30,000 head from a year ago, according to Jay Johnson, Director of the USDA, NASS, Michigan Field Office. Breeding hog inventory, at 110,000 head, was unchanged from last March. Market hog inventory, at 890,000 head, was down 30,000 head from last year. Michigan's litter rate, at 9.90 pigs saved per litter for the December 2011-February 2012 period, set an all time record high for Michigan during the December 2011-February 2012 quarter. United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2012 was 64.9 million head. This was up 2 percent from March 1, 2011, but down 2 percent from December 1, 2011. Breeding inventory, at 5.82 million head, was up 1 percent from last year, and up slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 59.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year, but down 2 percent from last quarter. The December 2011-February 2012 pig crop, at 28.7 million head, was up 3 percent from 2011. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.88 million head, up 1 percent from 2011. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record high 9.97 for the December-February period, compared to 9.80 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.30 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.00 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs. United States hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow during the March-May 2012 quarter, down 1 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2011, and down 1 percent from 2010. Intended farrowings for June-August 2012, at 2.88 million sows, are down 2 percent from 2011, and down 2 percent from 2010. The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000 head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 47 percent of the total United States hog inventory, up from 46 percent last year. Hog inventory and farrowings: Michigan and United States, March 1, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : Michigan : U.S. Hogs and pigs :----------------------------------------------- : 2011 : 2012 :Change : 2011 : 2012 :Change ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ : 1,000 head Percent 1,000 head Percent : Breeding : 110 110 0 5,788 5,820 1 Market : 920 890 -3 57,896 59,052 2 Under 50 pounds : 300 290 -3 18,863 19,332 2 50-119 pounds : 230 200 -13 16,060 16,456 2 120-179 pounds : 200 205 3 12,361 12,569 2 180+ pounds : 190 195 3 10,612 10,695 1 Total : 1,030 1,000 -3 63,684 64,872 2 : Sows farrowed, Dec-Feb 1/ : 51 50 -2 2,843 2,877 1 Pigs/litter, Dec-Feb 1/ : 9.80 9.90 1 9.80 9.97 2 Pig crop, Dec-Feb 1/ : 500 495 -1 27,866 28,681 3 Sows farrowing, Mar-May 2/ : 53 50 -6 2,917 2,890 -1 Sows farrowing, Jun-Aug 2/ : 52 48 -8 2,927 2,880 -2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1/ December previous year. 2/ Intentions.