May 2, 2006

 

Immigration rallies deal a blow to US meat production

 

 

Combined US beef and pork production Monday (May 1) was down 65 percent from normal because many meat-processing plants were closed due to immigration rallies to protest tougher immigration legislation in Congress.

 

The USDA estimated Monday's cattle slaughter at just 31,000 head, compared with an average of 121,000 last week.

 

Monday's hog slaughter were at 183,000 head, versus a daily average of 387,000 for last week, not including Saturday.

 

Using the USDA's latest per-head meat production figures with Monday's cattle and hog slaughters result in a combined meat output of about 60.6 million, compared with a daily average of 170.4 million pounds last week.

 

The USDA also reported a 27 percent decline in the number of chickens processed Monday compared with the number a week ago.

 

However, some plants processed additional animals last week and weekend and will do the same this week to offset Monday's down time, according to industry sources and company officials.

 

The USDA revised Saturday's cattle slaughter estimate to 79,000 from 76,000 reported on Friday, which put last week's total up to 682,000 head.

 

That figure was up 61,000 head from the previous week and easily the largest of the year. The weekly average prior to last week's kill was 598,000.

 

Both Congressional Democrats and Republicans have pending immigration-reform legislation. Ahead of the Easter break, the US Senate failed to pass a bill regarding immigration reform, and with Congress back in session, the reform bills will be debated again.

 

Work slowdowns that occurred on Apr 10, the first time some meat-plant workers participated in immigration rallies, resulted in reduced slaughter rates as well, at 80,000 for cattle 342,000 for hogs. However, Monday's rallies were more extensive as leaders of the rallies urged people not to go to work.

 

Many of the meat and poultry processing plants in the US have a large number of immigrant employees. In all, 15 beef and 14 pork plants were closed on Monday, along with some poultry-processing facilities, according to industry sources.