The pig herd in the US is declining

The USDA forecasts that the number of sows that give birth to piglets will fall by 4% from June to August compared to last year.

Farmers have reduced America's pig herd by 2% over the past year, the USDA said Thursday, after the pandemic shut down slaughterhouses.

The USDA Quarterly Report states that the hog population as of March 1, 2021 was 74.773 million, up from 76.179 million a year earlier. Analysts on average expected 76.230 million heads. This was the first year-over-year decline in March in seven years, according to Joe Kearns, CEO of consultancy Partners for Production Agriculture, and should benefit farmers by raising hog prices.

Producers also faced a decrease in demand for MEAT in restaurants. The supply cut adds to supply worries after the closure of slaughterhouses reduced stocks of frozen meat. Pork stocks in cold stores were down 24% by February 29 from a year earlier, according to the USDA. Farmers and industry analysts have also recently reported an increase in cases of a porcine disease known as porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) in breeding animals.

The USDA forecasts that the number of sows that give birth to piglets will fall by 4% from June to August compared to last year. The supply constraint comes as covid-19 vaccinations are expected to help boost demand for meat in restaurants and other retail outlets such as hotels.