USDA released its quarterly Hogs and Pigs report today. The inventory of all hogs and pigs on 1 March was 74.5 million head. This was down slightly from 1 March 2024 and down 1 percent from 1 December.
Breeding inventory, at 5.98 million head, was down 1 percent from last year, and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 68.5 million head, was down slightly from last year, and down 1 percent from last quarter. The December 2024-February 2025 pig crop, at 33.7 million head, was down slightly from last year. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.89 million head, down 1 percent from previous year. The sows farrowed during this quarter represented 48 percent of the breeding herd.
The quarterly...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...