The impact of the Porcine Epi­demic Diarrhea Virus (PEDv) is beginning to show up in Iowa’s pork numbers, and that could point to tighter hog supplies, an Iowa State University livestock economist said last week.

There were 20.5 million head of hogs and pigs in Iowa as of Dec. 1, 2013, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) hogs and pigs report said recently. This was down 0.5 percent from Dec. 1, 2012. The total market hog inventory, at 19.53 million head, was down 0.2 percent. The...