USDA U.S. Hogs And Pigs: Verbatim Text For Dec 2017

WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Verbatim Text from USDA U.S.

Hogs and Pigs for period ended December 1, 2017:

United States Hog Inventory Up 2 Percent

United States inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2017 was

73.2 million head. This was up 2 percent from

December 1, 2016, but down slightly from September 1, 2017.

Breeding inventory, at 6.18 million head, was up 1 percent from last year,

and up 1 percent from the previous quarter.

Market hog inventory, at 67.1 million head, was up 2 percent from last year,

but down slightly from last quarter.

The September-November 2017 pig crop, at 33.4 million head, was up 3 percent

from 2016. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 3.11 million head, up

2 percent from 2016. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 51

percent of the breeding herd. The average pigs saved per litter was a record

high of 10.74 for the September-November period, compared to 10.63 last year.

Pigs saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.90 for operations

with 1-99 hogs and pigs to 10.80 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and

pigs.

United States hog producers intend to have 3.07 million sows farrow during

the December-February 2018 quarter, up 3 percent from the actual farrowings

during the same period in 2017, and up 5 percent from 2016. Intended

farrowings for March-May 2018, at 3.08 million sows, are up 2 percent from

2017, and up 4 percent from 2016.

The total number of hogs under contract owned by operations with over 5,000

head, but raised by contractees, accounted for 47 percent of the total United

States hog inventory, unchanged from the previous year.

Revisions

All inventory and pig crop estimates for March 2016 through September 2017

were reviewed using final pig crop, official slaughter, death loss, and

updated import and export data. The net revision made to the December 2016

all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.1 percent. The net revision made to the

March 2017 all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.4 percent. The net revision

made to the June 2017 all hogs and pigs inventory was 0.9 percent. A revision

of 1.5 percent was made to the March-May 2017 pig crop. A revision of 0.3

percent was made to the September 2017 all hogs and pigs inventory.

Write to Rodney Christian @csstat@dowjones.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

December 22, 2017 12:22 ET (17:22 GMT)