(NAFB.com) – The U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on September 1, 2023, was 74.3 million head. That was slightly higher than September 1, 2022, and up two percent from June of this year. The breeding inventory was 6.08 million head, down one percent from last year and one percent from the previous quarter. The market hog inventory was 68.2 million head, slightly higher than last year and two percent higher than the previous quarter. The June-August pig crop was 34.2 million head, slightly higher than in 2022. Sows farrowing during the period totaled 2.95 million head, down four percent from 2022. U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.93 million sows farrow between September and November, down five percent from the actual farrowings during the same period a year earlier. Intended farrowings between December 2023 and February 2024 total 2.91 million sows, down one percent from the same period a year ago.