At first glance, total US Federally inspected slaughter would appear greater in 2023 (red line) compared to the previous 2 years when production had reduced following major losses in 2020. But a closer look at what makes up total US slaughter reveals that an increase in sow slaughter has been the major reason for above year ago weekly kills in recent months.
Sow slaughter as a % of total weekly volume hit 3% in the past 2 weeks, a level not seen since April of 2020 when sow kills remain constant and weekly total kills plummeted because of closed slaughter plants during the onset of the pandemic. Not only has sow slaughter reached 3% of total slaughter it has also increased to above 3% cumulative above the 2022 total sow kill year to date. Based on the current trend of sow slaughter, cumulative numbers compared to last year are expected to continue. Although % of slaughter is likely to decline, only because kill numbers will increase during the fall months, the number of sows being slaughtered in the US, which captures much of the Canadian trend as well, is notably higher and signifies liquidation in the overall North American market.
