January 1, 2007

 

US beef, pork exports expected to end 2006 well above 2005

 

 

US beef and pork exports will end the year well above levels accomplished in 2005, according to industry forecasts, with international pork sales up for a 16th consecutive year and at a record.

 

Meanwhile, the beef industry continues its efforts to regain business in the international markets that was lost after bovine spongiform encephalopathy, or mad cow disease, was first discovered in Washington state.

 

According to the US Meat Export Federation (USMEF), US total pork exports for January through October, the latest data available, stood at nearly 1.026 million tonnes, valued at almost US$2.316 billion. Total pork exports for the full year 2005 were 1,157,689 tonnes. This year's sales are on track to reach around 1.225 million to 1.235 million tonnes, another record.

 

Pork exports grew an average of 14.4 percent annually from 2000 through 2005.

 

Beef exports, including beef variety meats, for the first 10 months of 2006 are up 44 percent from a year ago by volume and 58 percent by value, USMEF data show. The year-to-date volume is 539,323 tonnes, which would project a yearly total of around 647,000 tonnes. In 2003, total beef exports reached 1.274 million tonnes valued at US$3.856 billion. The all-time high for volume was set in 2000 at nearly 1.280 million tonnes.

 

US cash hog prices during the final week of the year are slightly above the year-ago level, while fed cattle prices from mainly Nebraska so far are around US$7 per hundredweight below a year ago on a live basis and US$10 to US$12 under the same period last year on a dressed basis.

 

As of early Friday afternoon, fed cattle trading had not yet developed in Kansas or Texas/western Oklahoma.

 

 

CATTLE/HOG SLAUGHTERS

 

The USDA estimated this week's cattle slaughter at 538,000 head, compared with 615,000 a week ago and 517,000 a year ago. Year-to-date cattle slaughter is 33.063 million head, up 3.9 percent from 31.824 million a year ago.

 

This week's hog slaughter was estimated at 1.835 million head, compared with 2.201 million last week and 1.798 million a year ago. Year-to-date hog slaughter is estimated at 103.521 million head, up 1.0 percent from the year-ago figure of 102.501 million.

 

 

TOTAL MEAT PRODUCTION

 

The USDA estimated total beef, pork and lamb production for the week at 799.0 million pounds. Last week's output was 935.1 million, and the year-ago figure was 772.1 million pounds. Year-to-date combined meat output is 46.891 billion pounds, up 3.8 percent from a year ago.

 

Broiler/fryer slaughter this week was estimated at 131.732 million head, compared with 159.549 million a week ago and 142.014 million a year ago.