USA: Livestock, Dairy, and Poultry Outlook 2013 March
Beef/Cattle: Snow in Plains States brings some drought relief but adversely impacts cattle feeding and meat processing, boosting fed cattle and beef prices. The snow also resulted in increased demand for feeder cattle for summer grazing, improving prices for lighter weight feeders. Alternatively, cattle feeding losses and negative near-term profit prospects exert downward pressure on prices for heaviest feeder cattle.
Special Article: “Japan Announces New Rules for Imports of U.S. Beef”
Pork/Hogs: Pork exports in January were year-over-year lower due to lower shipments to China, Mexico, South Korea, and Japan. U.S. exports to
Japan in particular—by far the largest foreign buyer of U.S. pork products—face strong headwinds, asthe Japanese yen has lost significant value relative to the U.S. dollar since last year. Lower wholesale pork prices are being reflected in somewhat lower retail pork prices.
Poultry: Broiler meat production for 2013 is estimated at 37.9 billion pounds, up 600 million from the previous estimate. Production rose by 5.6 percent in January due a higher number of birds slaughtered and higher average weights. Turkey meat production for 2013 was increased to 6.2 billion, an increase of 150 million pounds from the earlier estimate.
Turkey cold storage holdings as of January 31 were 362 million pounds, 22 percent higher than the previous year. Table egg production was higher in January on a year-over-year basis for the 16th consecutive month.
Poultry Trade: Broiler and turkey shipments in January 2013 rose from a year ago, while egg shipments declined over the same period. Broiler exports totaled 519.6 million pounds in January 2013, an increase of 2.7 percent from a year earlier. Turkey shipments increased 3.6 percent from a year earlier, totaling 56.3 million pounds, while egg exports totaled 24.1 million dozen in January 2013, a decline of 4.2 percent from last January.
Dairy: Higher cow numbers will make the year-over-year decline in the U.S. herd size even more gradual than earlier expected. Higher exports are expected to support milk prices.
