The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was 75.1 million head, said the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report.
The breeding inventory was down slightly from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter.
The market hog inventory was up slightly from last year and up slightly from last quarter.
TOTAL INVENTORY UP
The total inventory of US hogs and pigs was 75.137 million head, up 390,000, or 0.52%, 390,000, or 0.52%, from 74.747 million the previous quarter and up 246,000, or 0.33%, from 74.891 million in the year-ago quarter.
Of that, 69.158 million head were market hogs, up 391,000, or 0.57%, from 68.767 million in the previous quarter and up 274,000, or 0.40%, from 68.884 million in the year-ago quarter.
Another 5.979 million head were kept for breeding, down 1,000, or 0.02%, from 5.980 million the previous quarter and down 29,000, or 0.48%, from 6.008 million a year earlier.
MARKET HOG SUPPLY VARIES BY WEIGHT
Market hogs weighing less than 50 pounds totaled 21.536 million head, up 235,000, or 1.10%, from 21.301 million in the previous quarter and up 257,000, or 1.21%, from 21.279 million a year earlier.
Those weighing 50 to 119 pounds totaled 19.421 million, up 389,000, or 2.04%, from 19.032 million in the previous quarter and up 23,000, or 0.12%, from 19.398 million in the year-ago quarter.
Market hogs weighing 120 to 179 pounds came to 15.260 million head, down 605,000, or 3.81%, from 15.865 million in the previous quarter but up 70,000, or 0.46%, from 15.190 million in the year-ago quarter.
Those weighing 180 pounds or more totaled 12.941 million head, up from 12.569 million last quarter but down from 13.017 million last year.
PIG CROP UP DESPITE FEWER SOWS
The March-through-May pig crop was reported at 34.171 million head, up 428,000, or 1.27%, from 33.743 million in the year-ago quarter, and the December-through-May pig crop was 67.873 million head, up 374,000, or 0.55%, from 67.499 million a year ago.
Yet, the number of sows farrowing in the March-through-May quarter numbered 2.907 million head, down 13,000, or 0.45%, from 2.920 million a year earlier, and the number that farrowed in the December-through-May period totaled 5.800 million, down 48,000, or 0.82%, from 5.848 million a year ago.
The March-through-May pig crop totaled 11.75 per litter, up 1.64%, from 11.56 in the year-ago quarter, while December-through-May farrowings yielded 11.70 head per litter, up 1.39%, from 11.54 head in the year-ago quarter.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers last week ranged from $229.67 per cwt to $239.21, compared with the previous week’s range of $225.15 to $243.37 per cwt. FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $361.42 per cwt to $373.52, compared with $353.24 to $379.61.
The USDA choice cutout Friday was up $1.44 per cwt at $396.49 while select was up $3.19 at $382.93. The choice/select spread narrowed to $13.56 from $15.31 with 59 loads of fabricated product and 21 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.
The USDA-listed the weighted average wholesale price for fresh 90% lean beef was $403.33 per cwt, and 50% beef was $251.48.
The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.25 to $1.35 a bushel over the Jul corn contract, which settled at $4.17 1/2, up $0.08.
No live cattle delivery notices were posted.
The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Thursday was $311.97 per cwt, up $0.58. This compares with Friday’s Aug contract settlement of $307.90, up $4.60.