For the first time in years, pig farmers in the United States have reduced their herds. Due to fluctuating slaughter capacity in American slaughterhouses, pig producers are keeping fewer market hogs and piglets.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a total of 77.5 million pigs were held in the U.S. in December. There were 726,000 units, or 0.9 percent fewer than twelve months earlier.
With the exception of the heavier market hogs over 81 kg, which showed a 1.2% increase in herds, declines were recorded in all other categories.
Compared to 2019, the number of feeder piglets decreased by 1.4% to 21.74 million. Piglets up to 54 kg decreased by 1.8% to 20.26 million. This is expected to lead to fewer market hogs in the coming months. Over the course of the year, American pig farmers reduced the number of sows they breed by 195,000, or 3.0 percent, to nearly 6.28 million.
For the first time in a long time, there is also no increase in the number of piglets. Recent changes in the U.S. pork market are also reflected in much smaller inventories in refrigerated storage. At the end of November 2020, 187,847 tons of pork were stored, which is 28 percent less than a year earlier.