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Where the Pigs Are

The U.S. hog population has grown dramatically since those first pigs sailed into our harbor. Today there are 58.8 million hogs in the United States. The population peaked in December 1944 with 83.7 million hogs. Iowa is the country's leading hog state, having more hogs and hog farms than any other state. Iowa alone accounts for twenty-five percent of the U.S. hog inventory. More than 15 million hogs live in the Hawkeye state on more than 12,000 farms.

Other top hog producing states include North Carolina, Minnesota, and Illinois. North Carolina has more than 9 million hogs on 3,600 farms, Minnesota has 5.8 million hogs on 7,300 farms, and Illinois has over 4 million hogs on more than 5,000 farms. Almost sixty percent of the U.S. hog inventory is concentrated in these four states.

Other parts of the country have seen an increase in hog production in recent years. Oklahoma and Utah have experienced hog inventory increases of over 800% since 1992, with Oklahoma having expanded its hog herd by over 2 million head. These large, regional increases are also common right now in dairy cow numbers, where states such as Idaho and New Mexico have realized phenomenal growth rates in their herd sizes.

Hog numbers have remained fairly steady in recent years, ranging between 56 and 62 million since 1994. The number of hog operations however, continues to decline in dramatic numbers. As of December 2000, 85,760 hog farms were operating in the United States. Compare that with the nearly 3 million hog farms that existed in the 1950's. Where did they all go?

There has been overwhelming pressure for hog farmers to get big or get out. That is why we are seeing fewer farms, with more hogs per farm. Over eighty percent of the nation's hogs are raised on farms which produce 1,000 or more hogs per year. Successful Farming magazine creates an annual list, entitled Pork Powerhouses, which ranks North America's fifty largest pork producers. In 2000, Smithfield Foods of Smithfield, Virginia ranked number one with 695,000 sows located in six different states. Premium Standard Farms of Kansas City, Missouri ranked second with 201,000 sows located in three states. Third was Seaboard Farms of Shawnee Mission, Kansas with 175,000 sows located in three states.

The United States is one of the world's top pork-producing countries. In 2000, the U.S. was second in pork exports, while Canada was first. Denmark was a very close third. With pork being the most widely eaten meat in the world, it is especially important to be a global player in this market. The future for U.S. pork exports looks very promising. The trends I discussed earlier such as the number of hogs and hog farms will most likely continue to proceed in the direction they are headed. Hog numbers should remain steadfast, while the number of hog farms continues to plummet. Please send email to stacey@agselect.com.