The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported the nation's swine breeding herd at 5.788 million head as of March 1, up 0.5% from a year ago but nearly 4.0% below the five-year average.
In the quarterly hogs and pigs inventory report, the USDA put the total size of the U.S. hog and pig herd at 63.964 million head, up 0.6% from a year ago and 0.3% above the five-year average. The total herd slightly beat the analysts' expectations.
http://www.agriculture.com/markets/analysis/hogs/usda-sow-herds-increase_14-ar15630