WASHINGTON, Sept. 28, 2023 – As of Sept. 1, there were 74.3 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, up slightly from September 2022 and up 2% from June 1, 2023, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).
Other key findings in the report were:
- Of the 74.3 million hogs and pigs, 68.2 million were market hogs, while 6.08 million were kept for breeding.
- Between June 2023 and August 2023, 34.2 million pigs were weaned on U.S. farms, up slightly from one year earlier.
- From June 2023 through August 2023, U.S. hog and pig producers weaned an average of 11.61 pigs per litter.
- U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow between September 2023 and November 2023, and 2.91 million sows farrow between December and February 2024.
- Iowa hog producers accounted for the largest inventory among the states, with 24.4 million head. Minnesota had the second largest inventory at 8.70 million head. North Carolina was third with 8.00 million head.
To obtain an accurate measurement of the U.S. swine industry, NASS surveyed roughly 4,500 operators across the nation during the first half of September. The data collected were received by electronic data recording, mail, telephone, and face-to-face interviews.
The Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report and all other NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov.