News

U.S. hog herd lower, farrowing intentions mixed

The U.S. hog and pig herd shrank over the past year.

The USDA says the total number of hogs and pigs in the U.S. on September 1^st, 2026, was 74.302 million head, 2% lower a year ago.

That includes a 2% decline in the market hog inventory to 68.427 million head and a dip of 1% in the breeding herd at 5.875 million head. For market hogs, all weight categories saw a year-over-year decrease of 2%.

The June to August pig crop was down 2% from last year as the number of sows farrowing that period fell 3%, but the number of pigs saved per was a record for the quarter at 11.96.

Farrowing intentions look mixed.

The USDA expects September through November farrowings to be 2% less than a year ago, while December through February intentions could be up 2%.

The number look near-term supportive for cash, wholesale, and futures prices, but that will also depend heavily on pork demand.