Ohio pig population booming after last year’s deadly virus

COLUMBUS (AP) — A rebound in Ohio’s swine population since the loss of hundreds of thousands of pigs to a virus last year in the state is expected to continue to help lower pork prices for consumers.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says Ohio was reporting a 16 percent year-over-year increase in its pig population as of June 1. The state herd of almost 2.4 million pigs as of June 1 was Ohio’s largest in 25 years, The Columbus Dispatch reported.

One reason given for the increase this year is that farmers anticipated another season of the deadly porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, but weren’t hit as hard this year.

“When you go through any type of crisis, you overcompensate for things,” said Pat Hord, of Hord Family Farms in Crawford County.

He said some farmers tried to breed more sows to be better prepared for the virus.

Federal agriculture officials say other states have also seen rebounds as producers responded to last year’s losses by breeding more pigs. The U.S herd had grown 9 percent to nearly 67 million.