U.S. hog breeding herd moves slightly lower

The USDA’s Quarterly Hogs and Pigs shows the potential for at least some industry contraction later this year.

The U.S. breeding herd on June 1st, 2023 was slightly lower at 6.146 million head, generally in-line with pre-report expectations. The breeding numbers do show steady to higher numbers in several key states, even with relatively high feed costs and questions about industry impact from California’s Proposition 12, but the inventory was down in the two largest breeding states of Iowa and North Carolina.

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