U.S. Hog Inventory Falls 2% as Pork Supplies Tighten From 2025 Levels

U.S. hog inventories declined from a year earlier as producers entered the fall with fewer market animals and a smaller breeding herd, according to USDA data released Sept. 24. The Sept. 1 inventory totaled 74.3 million hogs and pigs, down 2% from 2025, although supplies increased 2% from June. The quarterly figures matter for livestock producers, processors and commodity markets because they provide a key measure of future pork availability, breeding capacity and potential supply pressure across the U.S. pork supply chain.

The latest numbers show contraction across the industry's major categories. The breeding inventory stood at 5.87 million head, down 1% year over year and slightly below the previous quarter, while hogs kept for marketing totaled 68.4 million head, 2% below September 2025 but 2% above June 2026. That combination points to tighter supplies compared with last year while also showing a seasonal rebuilding of market-hog numbers from the previous quarter. For producers, those trends will be important when evaluating feed costs, slaughter capacity, livestock prices and margins heading into late 2026.

Smaller Pig Crop Meets Improving Productivity

The June-August pig crop totaled 34.5 million head, 2% below the same period in 2025, as the number of sows farrowing fell more sharply. Producers reported 2.89 million sows farrowing during the quarter, a 3% year-over-year decline and equivalent to 49% of the breeding herd. Productivity partially offset that contraction: pigs saved per litter increased to 11.96 from 11.82 a year earlier. The improvement underscores how productivity gains can help producers maintain output even as the sow herd and number of farrowings decline.