The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 totaled 77.5 million head, down about 1% from Sep. 1 and Dec. 1, 2019, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said Wednesday in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report.
Declines were shown in the breeding inventory and in the market hog inventory. Because of having fewer sows farrowing, the pig crop was down from a year ago as well. Even the number of pigs saved per litter declined.
ALL HOG NUMBERS LOWER
The total number of all hogs and pigs on Dec. 1 was 77.502 million head, down 932,000, or 1.19%, from 78.434 million on Sep. 1 and down 726,000, or 0.93%, from 78.228 million on Dec. 1, 2019. The decline from the previous quarterly report broke with a trend toward ever-larger numbers each quarter this year.
The number of hogs kept for breeding came to 6.276 million head. This was down 57,000, or 0.90%, from 6.333 million one quarter earlier and down 195,000, or 3.01%, from 6.471 million a year earlier.
The number of market hogs on hand at the beginning of the month came to 71.226 million head, down 875,000, or 1.21%, from 72.101 million in the previous report and down 531,000, or 0.74%, from 71.757 in the year-ago report.
HEAVY-WEIGHT MARKET HOGS UP; LIGHTER WEIGHTS DOWN
The breakdown of the market hog inventory showed the number of hogs weighing 120 pounds or more were up from a year ago while numbers of hogs weighing 119 pounds or less were down.
Market hogs weighing less than 50 pounds totaled 21.739 million head, down 1.405 million, or 6.07%, from 23.144 million in the last report and down 300,000, or 1.40%, from 22.048 million a year earlier.
Hogs on feed weighing 50 to 119 pounds totaled 20.260 million head, down 760,000, or 3.62%, from 21.020 million in the September report and down 376,000, or 1.82%, from 20.636 million in the year-earlier report.
Market hogs weighing 120 to 179 pounds totaled 15.246 million head, up 379,000, or 2.55%, from 14.867 million one quarter earlier but down 10,000, or 0.07%, from 15.256 million a year earlier.
Butcher hogs weighing 180 pounds or more on Dec. 1 totaled 13.980 million head, up 911,000, or 6.97%, from 13.069 million in the previous report and up 164,000, or 1.19%, from 13.816 million a year earlier.
The number of sows farrowing in the latest quarter was 3.164 million, down 33,000, or 1.03%, from 3.197 million a year earlier, while the pig crop totaled 34.973 million, down 486,000, or 1.37%, from 35.459 million.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
Fed cattle trading was reported in the Plains this week at $110 per cwt on a live basis, up $2 to $5 from last week. Dressed-basis trade was at $172, up $6 to $7.
The USDA choice cutout Wednesday was down $3.13 per cwt at $207.54, while select was off $1.66 at $197.93. The choice/select spread narrowed to $9.62 from $11.08 with 92 loads of fabricated product and 27 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA reported Wednesday that basis bids for corn from livestock feeding operations in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.21 a bushel over the Mar CBOT futures contract, which settled at $4.47 1/4 a bushel, up $0.03 3/4.
No cattle contracts were tendered for delivery against the Dec contract Wednesday.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Tuesday was $139.99 per cwt, up $0.25. This compares with Wednesday’s Jan contract settlement of $140.27 per cwt, up $0.37.