The number of pigs in the US continues to decline

According to the USDA, on December 1, 2022, a total of 73.12 million pigs were bred in the US, which was 1.33 million, or 1.8 percent, more than in the previous year. less than twelve months ago. This means that the downward trend in hog stocks has continued since late 2020. The last time the U.S. pig population was lower than it is now was in 2017. The strongest decreases compared to the previous year were found in the last census in piglets up to 23 kg and weaners up to 54 kg. They decreased by about 2.0 percent. to 21.53 million units and 18.62 million, respectively. The stock of fatteners over 54 kg decreased by about 1.9 percent. to 27.19 million units. Compared to 2021, there was a slight increase in the number of sows by 0.5%. With 6.15 million sows, this was approximately the same number of sows as on September 1, 2022. The number of piglets reared per litter from September to November 2022 was 11.22, compared to 11.19 in the same ...