November 27, 2008
US cattle liquidation continues to run high
US cow liquidation continues to run ahead of last year due to economic conditions and, in some areas, poor pasture conditions.
From January to early November, beef cow liquidation averaged 14-percent higher compared with the same period last year, said the Livestock Marketing Information Centre (LMIC).
Cow slaughter so far this year is also nearly 15-percent higher than the 2002-2006 average.
LMIC said imported Canadian cows accounted for about 30 percent of the harvest number increase.
Pork producers are also slaughtering their herd on a large-scale. US sow slaughter from January to early November was 7-percent higher than last year, and 10-percent larger than the previous five-year average. The increase in US sow slaughter was also made up of some Canadian imports.
