DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – The population of hogs and pigs in Iowa has reached the highest number ever.

The United States Department of Agriculture says in its quarterly report released Friday that the Sept. 1 inventory of hogs and pigs in the state shows 21.2 million animals. That’s up from 2 percent reported on the same date a year ago and is the highest inventory on record.

Iowa is by far the nation’s leading hog producer with nearly a third of the nation’s 68.4 million animals. A distant second is North Carolina with about 9.5 million hogs. Minnesota is third with 7.6 million. Followed by Illinois with 4.7 million and Nebraska with 3.1 million.