United States-Sow and Gilt slaughter.

UNITED STATES-SOW AND GILT SLAUGHTER.

Gilt slaughter for the past six weeks has run high. However, sow slaughter is running well below a year earlier. For the four weeks ending March 28, sow slaughter was down 12 percent from 2008 after adjusting for the size of the breeding herd. For 2009 through the week ending March 28, sow slaughter was down 6.5 percent.

A portion of the reduced sow slaughter is due to smaller cull sow and boar imports from Canada. For the year through March 21, sow and boar imports from Canada were down 16.5 percent in 2009 from 2008. Barrow and gilt imports from Canada for the year through March 21 were down 79.7 percent, and feeder pig imports were down 26.3 percent for this short three-month period this year from last year.

A substantial portion of the reduced imports is probably due to the Country of Origin Labeling legislation or COOL.