A quarterly report shows hog and pig numbers are rising as the U.S. pork industry continues to recover from Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea virus (PEDv), reports Agri-Pulse.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) report estimated on June 1 that 66.9 million hogs and pigs are being raised in the U.S., which is up 9 percent from a year earlier.
PEDv, a gastrointestinal virus, was first detected in the U.S. in April 2013 and led to the decline of millions of hogs, mostly piglets.
The report shows 29.6 million piglets were born in the March through May period, up 8 percent from 2013. The total inventory of market hogs was up 9 percent at 61 million. The June 1 breeding herd totaled 5.93 million head, which is up 1 percent from last year, but down 1 percent from the previous quarter.