USDA released its Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report for 1 September last week. The total inventory of hogs and pigs in the U.S. was 74.3 million head, reflecting a 1 percent decrease from the previous year but a 1.6 percent increase from June 2026, when the June inventory was at its lowest since 2023.

Breeding sows, at 5.87 million head, were down 1 percent from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 68.4 million head, was down 2 percent from last year but up 2 percent from last quarter. The June-August 2026 pig crop, at 34.5 million head, was down 2 percent from 2025. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, down 3 percent from 2025. Sows farrowed during this quarter represented 49...