SD-CROP-LIVESTOCK

NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office - Sioux Falls, SD

Media contact: South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov


U.S. - CANADIAN HOG INVENTORY UP SLIGHTLY


SIOUX FALLS, February 15, 2006 -- Inventory of all hogs and pigs 
for December 2005 in the U.S. and Canada was 75.7 million head.  
This was up 1 percent from December 2003, and up slightly from 
2004.  The breeding inventory, at 7.66 million head, was up 
slightly from a year ago, and up 1 percent from last quarter.  
Market hog inventory, at 68.0 million head, was up slightly from
 last year, but down 1 percent from last quarter.  The pig crop, 
at 34.2 million head, was up 1 percent from 2003, but down 1 
percent from 2004.  Sows farrowed during this period totaled 
3.75 million head, down 1 percent from last year.

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2005 was 61.2 
million head.  This was up slightly from December 1, 2004, but 
down 1 percent from September 1, 2005.  Breeding inventory, at 
6.01 million head, was up 1 percent from last year and last 
quarter.  Market hog inventory, at 55.2 million head, was up 
slightly from last year but down 1 percent from last quarter.  
Sows farrowed during this period totaled 2.89 million head, 
unchanged from last year.

Inventory of all hogs and pigs on January 1, 2006 in Canada 
was 14.5 million head, down 1 percent from last year and down 
3 percent from last quarter.  The breeding inventory, at 1.64 
million head, was down slightly from a year ago, but up 
slightly from last quarter.  Market hog inventory, at 12.9 
million head, was down 1 percent from last year and down 3 
percent from last quarter.  The pig crop, at 8.11 million head, 
was down 6 percent from 2004, and down 2 percent from 2003.  
Sows farrowed during this period totaled 862,000 head, down 4 
percent from last year.

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 U.S. hog 
industry to provide producers additional information about 
potential hog supplies.  U.S. inventory numbers were previously
released on December 28, 2005.


Access this complete report at:
http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/livestock/usch/usch0206.pdf