U.S. hog total surges 9 percent amid signs of a plateau
The U.S. inventory of hogs and pigs is up 9 percent from last June 1, and slightly larger than on March 1, the USDA said in a quarterly report that showed a dynamic rebound from the effects of the Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus that killed millions of piglets in 2014. The loss of piglets, along with strong demand for meat, helped propel U.S. meat prices to record levels last year and encouraged hog producers to expand their herds.