Last Friday's September hogs and pigs report said the U.S. market hog inventory was 0.3% larger than a year ago and the breeding herd was up 0.4%.
Summer farrowings were down 0.1% with pigs per litter up 2.0% to a new up record 10.33 pigs per litter. The summer pig crop was 1.9% larger than a year ago. However, the inventory of market hogs weighing less than 120 pounds was up only 1.0%.
USDA said farrowing intentions for fall are up 0.4% and winter farrowings are expected to be up 0.9% compared to a year earlier.
USDA said the 180 pound and heavier market hog inventory was down 3.5% on the first day of September. Daily hog slaughter during September was down a whopping 9.2%.
Analysts were expecting evidence of the impact of PED virus in the USDA numbers. The record pigs per litter implies no impact from PEDv. The smaller inventory of lightweight market hogs relative to the pig crop implies increased post weaning death loss.
Based on this report, I expect 2013 hog slaughter to be 0.1% lower than last year and I expect 2014 hog slaughter to be up 2.0% compared to this year.
Iowa State University estimates that the typical market hog sold during August cost $71.03/cwt to raise. This was lower than the month before for the seventh consecutive month. ISU calculates that hogs sold during August earned a profit of $7.64 per head. This was the third profitable month in a row.
Testing data from the National Animal Health Laboratory Network says that as of September 22, the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus has been found in 684 swine premises in 17 states. This is an increase of 40 locations from the week before. There is an unknown amount of double counting in this data.
Because of a lapse in federal government funding, USDA stopped issuing market reports on October 1. Consequently, there is little data available on current livestock prices, meat prices, weights or slaughter.
The only hog price data available is for the small number of hogs that move through the traditional auction markets. Peoria had a live price top this morning of $62/cwt, down $1 for the week. Zumbrota, MN was also a $1 lower with a top at $60/cwt. Missouri country markets were $2.25 lower with a top at $64.50/cwt of live weight.
Packers are looking for ways to price hogs should the government report shutdown continue into next week. Beginning Monday, Tyson is planning to start pricing hogs off of the Urner-Barry meat price sheet.
The October lean hog futures contract settled at $91.85/cwt today, down $1.07 from the previous Friday. December hog futures ended the week at $87.62/cwt, down 50 cents from the week before. February hogs settled at $89.85. April close at $90.32/cwt.