The combined U.S. and Canadian cattle, hog, and sheep herds have gotten smaller.

That decline is largely due to producer concerns about profitability and increased export competition.

In a joint report from the USDA and Statistics Canada, the combined hog herd at the end of December 2023 was slightly lower than the year before, with a modest increase in the U.S. canceled out by a 1% decline in Canada. Except for U.S.

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