Recent U.S. Drought Monitor data show roughly 22% of the national hog inventory located in moderate or worse drought (D1+), aligning with the dominant 15-24% market bin. Improvements from late-September and early-October rainfall—particularly remnants of Hurricane Polo across the Southern Plains—have eased conditions in parts of the Midwest and High Plains where hog production concentrates, while drought has persisted or intensified in the Lower Mississippi and some Texas-Oklahoma zones. The USDA’s weekly Ag in Drought product, derived from the U.S. Drought Monitor and state-level production weights, underpins trader consensus; the next update covering the week of October 13 will incorporate any additional precipitation or flash-drought signals from ongoing model runs.