mn-press-releases MINNESOTA AG NEWS USDA, NASS MN Dept of Agriculture MINNESOTA FIELD OFFICE PO Box 7068, St. Paul, MN 55107 Douglas Hartwig, Director Phone: (651) 296-2230 Homepage: http://www.nass.usda.gov/mn/ E-mail: nass-mn@nass.usda.gov --------------------------------------------------------------------------- HOGS AND PIGS March 27, 2009 --------------------------------------------------------------------------- MINNESOTA HOG INVENTORY DOWN 3 PERCENT Minnesota hog producers had an inventory of 7.3 million hogs and pigs on March 1, 2009, down 3 percent from last year and the December 1, 2008, figure, according to the USDA, NASS, Minnesota Field Office. Breeding hogs totaled 580 thousand head, down 2 percent from a year earlier and market hogs and pigs at 6.72 million head, were down 3 percent from a year ago. DECEMBER-FEBRUARY PIG CROP UP 4 PERCENT Minnesota’s December 2008-February 2009 pig crop totaled 2.73 million head, up 4 percent from a year earlier but down 1 percent from the September-November 2008 pig crop. The 280 thousand sows that farrowed averaged 9.75 pigs per litter, up from 9.25 a year ago. MARCH-MAY AND JUNE-AUGUST INTENTIONS Hog producers in Minnesota intend to farrow 280 thousand sows during the March-May 2009 quarter. If realized, this would be down 2 percent from actual sows farrowed during the same period a year earlier. Producers also intend to farrow 280 thousand sows during the June-August 2009 quarter. If realized, this would also be down 2 percent from actual sows farrowed during the same period in 2008. U.S. HOG INVENTORY DOWN 3 PERCENT U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on March 1, 2009 was 65.4 million head. This was down 3 percent from March 1, 2008 and down 2 percent from December 1, 2008. Breeding inventory, at 6.01 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down 1 percent from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 59.4 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down 2 percent from last quarter. The December 2008-February 2009 pig crop, at 28.2 million head, was down 1 percent from 2008 but up 7 percent from 2007. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.98 million head, down 3 percent from 2008 but up 3 percent from 2007. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 50 percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was 9.48 for the December 2008-February 2009 period, compared to 9.24 last year. Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.30 for operations with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 9.50 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and pigs. REVISIONS All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2008 through December 2008 were reviewed using slaughter, death loss and current import and export data. Based on this review, adjustments of less than one half of one percent were made to the December 2008 total inventory, March-May 2008 pig crop, and June-August 2008 pig crop. Monthly Farrowings: Number of Sows, Pigs per Litter, and Pig Crop, United States, December-November 2008-2009 1/ 2/ Month Sows Farrowing Pigs per Litter Pig Crop 2008 2009 2008 2009 2008 2009 1,000 Head 1,000 Head Number Number 1,000 Head 1,000 Head Dec 1 1,017 987 9.22 9.50 9,381 9,380 Jan 1,028 1,003 9.24 9.45 9,501 9,478 Feb 1,026 988 9.26 9.49 9,505 9,372 Mar 1,049 9.35 9,811 Apr 998 9.38 9,370 May 1,004 9.41 9,449 Jun 1,046 9.48 9,917 Jul 1,020 9.52 9,712 Aug 1,009 9.53 9,611 Sep 1,034 9.50 9,826 Oct 992 9.48 9,404 Nov 964 9.52 9,180 Total 12,187 9.41 114,667 1/ December preceding year. 2/ Monthly values may not add to quarterly or annual totals due to rounding.