Pork producers struggle through drought, sending more young female hogs than ever to slaughter

More female hogs than ever are being sent to slaughter because producers can't afford high feed prices caused by this summer's oppressive drought. Sows are building blocks of herds, so slaughtering them not only shrinks herds but expands the pork supply, sending prices plummeting, P.J. Huffstutter and Theopolis Waters of Reuters report. Producers are left to either use savings to survive, or sell herds and leave the business. (Photo by John Gress)

Just under 10 million head of hogs were sent to slaughter in August, the most ever for that month, according to data analyzed by Reuters. But, the U.S. Department of Agriculture in its quarterly inventory of hogs and pigs on Friday said the number increased slightly through Sept. 1. There were 67.5 million head, up 3 percent from June 1.

Still, large producers are "scouring the Midwest to snap up whatever feed they can find, or are sinking tens of millions of dollars into importing [feed] from Brazil," Huffstutter and Theopolis report.