The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sep. 1 was down about 1% from a year ago, according to the USDA’s Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report.
Additionally, the number of pigs born in the June-August quarter was down, even though the pigs saved per litter was up since the number of sows that farrowed during the quarter was down.
TOTAL INVENTORY DECLINES
The total inventory of all hogs and pigs on Sep. 1 was 74.472 million head, down 1.018 million, or 1.35%, from 75.490 million a year earlier. However, this was up from the June 1 inventory of 73.717 million head by 755,000, or 1.02%.
Of that, 5.934 million were “kept for breeding,” down 110,000, or 1.82%, from 6.044 million a year earlier. It also was marginally less than the 5.949 million of the previous quarter.
Another 68.538 million head were market hogs, down 909,000, or 1.31%, from 69.447 million a year ago but up 770,000, or 1.14%, from the 67.768 million of the previous quarter.
MARKET HOGS BY WEIGHT GROUPS
Of the market hogs on hand, pigs weighing less than 50 pounds totaled 21.662 million head, down 532,000, or 2.40%, from 22.194 million a year ago but up 526,000, or 2.49%, from 21.136 million in the previous quarterly report.
Another 19.667 million weighed 50 to 119 pounds, down 465,000, or 2.31%, from 20.132 million a year ago but up 526,000, or 2.75%, from 19.141 million in the previous quarter.
And 14.498 million head weighed 120 to 179 pounds, up from 14.447 million a year earlier but down from 14.830 million in the previous quarter.
Market hogs weighing 180 pounds or more numbered 12.711 million head, up 37,000, or 0.29%, from 12.674 million a year earlier and up 50,000, or 0.39%, from 12.661 million a quarter earlier.
FARROWINGS, PIG CROP DECLINE
Sows that farrowed in the June-August quarter totaled 2.883 million head, down 102,000, or 3.42%, from 2.985 million a year earlier but up 28,000, or 0.98%, from the 2.855 million reported for the March-May quarter.
That produced 34.078 million piglets, down 903,000, or 2.58%, from 34.981 million a year earlier but up 528,000, or 1.57%, from 33.550 million in the March-May quarter.
Pigs per litter keep climbing, coming in at 11.82 in the June-August quarter, up from 11.72 pigs a year earlier and up from the 11.75 pigs in the March-May quarter.
Hog producers said they planned to farrow 2.855 million sows in the September-November quarter, down from 2.925 million a year earlier.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $237.05 per cwt to $237.06, compared with last week’s range of $238.09 to $244.00 per cwt. FOB dressed steers and heifers went for $372.71 per cwt to $373.81, compared with $373.45 to $379.73.
The USDA choice cutout Monday was down $0.75 per cwt at $370.68 while select was down $3.55 at $348.89. The choice/select spread widened to $21.79 from $18.99 with 86 loads of fabricated product and 31 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA-listed the weighted average wholesale price for fresh 90% lean beef as $430.56 per cwt, and 50% beef was $134.00.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were down $0.05 at $1.05 to $1.20 a bushel over the Dec corn contract, which settled at $4.21 1/2, down $0.00 1/2.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Friday was $367.61 per cwt, up $2.57. This compares with Monday’s Oct contract settlement of $356.20, down $0.80.