January 7, 2008

Improved efficiency, less downtime up US hog slaughter at record 2.47 million

New records for weekly US hog slaughter were confirmed Friday for the week ended December 22 hitting 2.4 million head, attributed to increased efficiency and reduced downtime in meat plants.

The USDA reported the week's hog slaughter was the first time it has surpassed 2.38 million head, set the week ended November 30.

Record for daily slaughter was also set December 20 at 436,647 head. Market analysts observed the packers were able to push more hogs through the plants, which have in turn pushed capacity to levels higher than previously considered possible.

Plants were able to process more with the use of chill cabinets, which cool carcasses faster than the standard coolers. Carcasses in these chilled cabinets can also be processed later the same day.

With the introduction of second shifts by some plants, downtime was also reduced with the second-shift workers coming in when the first-shift crew goes out.

Glenn Grimes, agricultural economist at the University of Missouri, said the additional slaughter capacity helped in moving more hogs through the existing facilities.

Grimes added that large processing capacity would be essential in the fourth quarter of 2008 when US supplies are expected to grow larger than the record slaughters in 2007.