WASHINGTON – For the month of December 2011, US and Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs totaled 78.0 million head — up 1 percent from December 2010 and up 2 percent from December 2009, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service, Agricultural Statistics Board, US Department of Agriculture. The breeding inventory, which totaled 7.11 million head, was a little higher from last year as well as up slightly from last quarter.

Totaling 70.8 million head, market hog inventory increased 2 percent from last year, but it slipped 1 percent from the last quarter. Amounting to 36.4 million head, the pig crop increased 2 percent from 2010 and 3 percent from 2009. During this period, sows farrowed totaled 3.61 million head, up 1 percent from last year — but down 1 percent from 2009.

On Dec. 1, US inventory of all hogs and pigs totaled 65.9 million head — an increase of 2 percent from Dec. 1, 2010, but a decrease of 1 percent from Sept. 1, 2011. Meanwhile, the breeding inventory, totaling 5.80 million head, was up slightly from last year, but down slightly from last quarter.

Totaling 60.1 million head, market-hog inventory increased 2 percent from last year, but slipped 1 percent from last quarter. The pig crop, totaling 29.0 million head, increased 2 percent from 2010 and 3 percent from 2009. Sows farrowed during this period reached 2.89 million head, up slightly from 2010, but down 1 percent from 2009.

On Jan. 1, 2012, Canadian inventory of all hogs and pigs on was 12.0 million head, up 1 percent from Jan. 1, 2011, and 2 percent from Jan. 1, 2010. Totaling 1.31 million head, the breeding inventory was unchanged from last year and up slightly from last quarter. Market-hog inventory, totaling 10.7 million head, increased 1 percent from last year and was up slightly from last quarter.

Totaling 7.4 million head, the pig crop increased 4 percent from 2011 and was up 3 percent from 2010. During this period, sows farrowed totaled 720,000 head, up 1 percent from 2011 — but a decrease from 2010 of 1 percent.