US Hog Inventory Fell 2% to 74.3 Million Head. Feeling Squeezed, He Switches to Contract Growing, and Social Security Still Counts the Pay

US Hog Inventory Fell 2% to 74.3 Million Head. Feeling Squeezed, He Switches to Contract Growing, and Social Security Still Counts the Pay

Switching to contract growing solved his cash flow problem, but a hidden rule ties his new income directly to every Social Security check he will ever receive, and most producers never see it coming until after they sign.

A slightly smaller swine herd

The market hog inventory was down 1.6% on Sept. 1. This should be good news for fall and winter hog prices.

United States Hog Inventory Down 2%

WASHINGTON — As of Sept.1, there were 74.3 million hogs and pigs on U.S. farms, down 2% from September 2025 but up 2% from June 1, 2026, according to the Quarterly Hogs and Pigs report published Sept. 24 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Other key findings in the report […]