Iowa has widened its lead over North Carolina as the nation’s top hog producer.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture lists Iowa’s herd total at 19.6 million, an increase from last year’s 18.9 million. 

The hog inventory in No. 2 North Carolina dropped by 7 percent to 8.5 million. Producers blamed the decline in North Carolina on the high cost of corn, which is shipped to the state to feed the hogs. 

The USDA says the nation’s total hog inventory was 66.6 million. Producers have been seeing strong prices.

Shane Ellis of Iowa State University Extension says per-head profits were $21.33 in August. He expects those profits to drop into the single digits in September.

Missouri’s hog herd was listed at 2.8 million, according to the report released Thursday.  That’s 200,000 head lower than last years totals.

The total hog population in the United States is estimated at 64.7 million.