Source: Karen McMahon, SUCCESSFUL FARMING, 10/6/21


With COVID-19 disruptions easing, the 37 largest U.S. hog farms posted a modest 0.5% increase in sow numbers in 2021 for a total of nearly 4.15 million hogs. The meager gain is the smallest expansion since Successful Farming magazine’s Pork Powerhouses series began 27 years ago. (Sow numbers decreased in 2020, 2010, and 2009.)  But even a slim 20,813-sow expansion shows the largest hog farms were able to resist further contraction after last year’s 1.4% reduction in sows. The stability of the sow herd is remarkable considering the difficult year just endured. 

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