U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 2009 was 65.8 million head. This was down 2 percent from December 1, 2008 and down 2 percent from September 1, 2009.

Breeding inventory, at 5.85 million head, was down 3 percent from last year and down slightly from the previous quarter. Market hog inventory, at 60.0 million head, was down 2 percent from last year and down 2 percent from last quarter.

The September-November 2009 pig crop, at 28.8 million head, was up slightly from 2008 but down 2 percent from 2007. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.97 million head, down 2 percent from 2008 and down 6 percent from 2007.

U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.95 million sows farrow during the December 2009- February 2010 quarter, down 2 percent from the actual farrowings during the same period in 2009 and down 4 percent from 2008. Intended farrowings for March-May 2010, at 2.94 million sows, are down 3 percent from 2009 and down 4 percent from 2008.