Hogs, Pigs Report Shows Mixed Herd Movement

The US inventory of all hogs and pigs on June 1 was 72.4 million head, up slightly from June 1, 2022, but down about 1% from March 1, 2023, the USDA’a National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report Thursday.

The breeding herd was down slightly from last year but up about 1% from the previous quarterly report.

Market hog numbers were up slightly from last year but down about 1% from last quarter.

The quarter’s pig crop was up about 1% from a year ago, but the number of sows that farrowed was down about 2%.

 

TOTAL HERD CHANGES MIXED

 

The June 1 census of US hogs revealed a herd of 72.394 million head, down 715,000, or 0.98%, from 73.109 million three months earlier but up 80,000, or 0.11%, from 72.314 million a year earlier.

Of that, the breeding herd was listed at 6.146 million head, up 50,000, or 0.82%, from 6.096 million in the previous report but down 22,000, or 0.36%, from 6.168 million last year.

Another 66.249 million head were market hogs, down 765,000, or 1.14%, from 67.014 million in the last report but up 103,000, or 0.16%, from 66.146 million a year ago.

 

MARKET HOGS BY WEIGHT

 

Market hogs that weighed less than 50 pounds on June 1 totaled 20.939 million head, up 880,000, or 4.39%, from 20.059 million in the March 1 inventory and up 36,000, or 0.17%, from last year’s 20.903 million.

Hogs weighing 50 to 119 pounds totaled 18.748 million, down 227,000, or 1.20%, from 18.975 million in the previous report but up 57,000, or 0.30%, from 18.691 million a year ago.

Market hogs weighing 120 to 179 pounds on June 1 totaled 13.863 million head, down 1.330 million, or 8.75%, from 15.193 million in the last report but up 36,000, or 0.26%, from 13.827 million a year ago.

Hogs weighing 180 pounds or more at the beginning of this month numbered 12.699 million, down 88,000, or 0.69%, from 12.787 million in the last report and down 26,000, or 0.20%, from 12.725 million a year ago.

 

SOWS FARROWING DIP

 

The number of sows that farrowed during the quarter totaled 2.896 million, down 71,000, or 2.39%, from 2.967 a year ago.  The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48% of the breeding herd.

That led to a March-May pig crop, of 32.891 million head, up 256,000, or 0.78%, from 2022’s 32.6354 million.  The average number of pigs saved per litter was 11.36 for the March-May period, up .36, or 3.27%, from 11.00 last year.

 

CATTLE, BEEF RECAP

 

The USDA reported formula and contract base prices for live FOB steers and heifers this week ranged from $180.37 per cwt to $186.11, compared with last week’s range of $182.00 to $191.00 per cwt.  FOB dressed steers, and heifers went for $284.32 per cwt to $289.29, compared with $286.23 to $295.18.

The USDA choice cutout Thursday was up $0.15 per cwt at $328.05 while select was up $0.50 at $297.18.  The choice/select spread narrowed to $30.87 from $31.22 with 81 loads of fabricated product and 16 loads of trimmings and grinds sold into the spot market.

The USDA said basis bids for corn from feeders in the Southern Plains were unchanged at $1.30 to $1.50 a bushel over the Jul corn contract, which settled at $5.81 a bushel, down $0.09.

No deliveries were tendered against Jun live cattle Thursday.

The CME Feeder Cattle Index for the seven days ended Wednesday was $230.97 per cwt, up $4.96.  This compares with Thursday’s Aug contract settlement of $242.37 per cwt, up $2.12, and Sep’s $245.80, up $2.07.