The U.S. hog sector entered the final stretch of 2026 with fewer animals than a year earlier, as the national inventory totaled 74.3 million hogs and pigs on Sept. 1, down 2% from 2025, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. The inventory was nevertheless 2% higher than on June 1. The quarterly report, released Sept. 24, matters beyond the pork industry because herd size can influence future meat supplies, feed demand and farm profitability across a supply chain closely connected to U.S. corn and soybean production.

Of the total inventory, 68.4 million head were market hogs while 5.87 million were kept for breeding, USDA data showed. Between June and August, producers weaned 34.5 million pigs, 2% fewer than during the same period in 2025, with an average of 11.96 pigs saved per litter. NASS surveyed 4,258 operators across the United States during the first half of September, gathering information online, by mail, telephone and personal interviews to build its quarterly snapshot of an industry that remains heavily concentrated in the Midwest and Southeast.

Bioinputs

Biostimulants race to prove their value as U.S. farmers demand more from every fertilizer dollar

Iowa Still Controls a Major Share of U.S. Hog Production

Production remains geographically concentrated, with Iowa leading the nation at 24.7 million hogs and pigs, roughly one-third of the U.S. inventory. Minnesota ranked second with 9.3 million head, followed by North Carolina with 7.6 million. That concentration makes grain availability, transportation conditions and commodity prices across major production states especially important for pork producers. Feed remains one of the sector's largest expenses, directly connecting livestock profitability with corn prices, soybean meal costs and the performance of the broader agricultural supply chain.

USDA's farrowing intentions provide another indicator for the months ahead. Producers expected 2.85 million sows to farrow between September and November 2026, followed by approximately 2.80 million between December 2026 and February 2027. Those projections will be watched alongside pigs per litter, slaughter weights and domestic and export pork demand. Any sustained change in hog numbers can gradually affect demand for feed grains, creating implications not only for livestock operations but also for corn growers, soybean producers, co-ops and feed manufacturers.

A 2% decline in inventory does not automatically translate into an equivalent decline in future pork production, since productivity, slaughter weights and marketing rates also influence total output. Still, the quarterly inventory remains a critical benchmark for farmers, processors, lenders and agricultural investors assessing the direction of the pork sector. With input costs and financing expenses continuing to shape farm decisions, producers will be closely watching the relationship between hog prices, feed costs and productivity as they determine whether to expand, maintain or reduce production capacity.