U.S. sow numbers have steadily declined since the nightmare
markets of '98. But, the Canadian sow count in January
registered a 4% upswing.  The contradiction between Canada's
expansion and the U.S. contraction has left pork producers and
industry prognosticators bewildered. Are U.S. and Canadian
producers playing by the same rules?  Searching for answers,
National Hog Farmer turned to four of the U.S. pork industry's
preeminent agricultural economists: Iowa State University's John
Lawrence and Gary May, and the University of Missouri's Ron
Plain and Glenn Grimes.  To help explain the enigma, Lawrence
and May recount marketing and production trends for the past
decade. Reductions in the U.S. breeding herd between 1994 and
2003 lopped off about 18.5 million market hogs (Figure 1). But,
consistent improvements in sow productivity added back about
18.2 million hogs in the 10-year tally.  Now, add in about 6.5
million Canadian feeder pigs and slaughter hogs, plus a steady
increase in average carcass weights, from