Recent US Drought Monitor data for the week ending October 6, 2026, place roughly 23% of national hog inventory in moderate or worse drought (D1+), aligning with the market's strong consensus on the 15-24% band. This reflects the concentration of hog production in Midwestern states such as Iowa and Minnesota, where drought coverage has remained relatively stable despite recent heavy rainfall from Hurricane Polo remnants that eased conditions across the Southern Plains, Southwest, and parts of the Southeast. National drought extent stands near 46%, yet livestock-specific metrics show only modest week-to-week shifts. The outcome could face revision if updated state-level inventories or localized precipitation reports alter the weighted drought exposure in primary hog-producing regions before final resolution.