May 3, 2010

US poultry, eggs value off 12% in 2009

In 2009, the combined value of production from broilers, eggs, turkeys, and the value of sales from chickens was US$31.6 billion, down 12% from the US$36 billion in 2008, according to USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS).

Of the combined total, 69% was from broilers, 19% from eggs, 11% from turkeys, and less than 1% from chickens.

During 2009, the value of broilers produced was US$21.8 billion, down 6% from 2008. The total number of broilers produced in 2009 was 8.55 billion, down 5% from 2008. The total amount of live weight broilers produced in 2009 was 47.7 billion pounds, down 5% from 2008.

Value of all egg production in 2009 was US$6.16 billion, down 25% from the US$8.22 billion in 2008. Egg production totalled 90.4 million eggs, up slightly from the 90.0 million eggs produced in 2008. In 2009, all eggs averaged 81.7 cents per dozen, compared with US$1.09 in 2008.

Meanwhile, the value of turkeys produced was US$3.57 billion, down 20% from the US$4.48 billion the previous year. Turkey production in 2009 totalled 7.15 billion pounds, down 10% from the 7.92 billion pounds produced in 2008. The average price received by producers during 2009 was 50.0 cents per pound, compared with 56.5 cents in 2008.

The value of sales from chickens (excluding broilers) in 2009 was US$65.1 million, up 5% from the US$62.2 million a year ago.

Prices averaged 7.2 cents per pound, compared with 6.6 cents in 2008. The number of chickens sold in 2009 totalled 175 million, down slightly from the total sold during the previous year.