Search Site   
Current News Stories
Solar eclipse, new moon coming April 8
Mystery illness affecting dairy cattle in Texas Panhandle
Teach others to live sustainably
Gun safety begins early
Hard-cooked eggs recipes great for Easter, anytime
Michigan carrot producers to vote on program continuation
Suggestions to celebrate 50th wedding anniversary
USDA finalizes new ‘Product of the USA’ labeling rule 
U.S. weather outlooks currently favoring early planting season
Weaver Popcorn Hybrids expanding and moving to new facility
Role of women in agriculture changing Hoosier dairy farmer says
   
News Articles
Search News  
   
USDA predicts higher red meat, and poultry production in 2013
 
For the third consecutive month, USDA has increased their estimate of 2013 production of red meat and poultry. The latest estimate is up 0.8 percent from their February forecast and up 3.3 percent from the December prediction. Today’s update raised the forecasts for 2013 production of beef by 0.1 percent, chicken up 1.7 percent and turkey production up 2.5 percent. USDA reduced expected pork production by 0.2 percent compared to their February forecast. USDA is now predicting combined red meat and poultry production will 0.4 percent greater than in 2012. In December, they predicted meat and poultry production would be 2.6 percent lower this year than last.

Today’s jobs numbers are encouraging. The unemployment rate dropped from 7.9 percent in January to 7.7 percent in February. Hopefully, this will strengthen meat demand.

Last week, Statistics Canada released their Jan. 1 inventory numbers for livestock. Their hog inventory was down 0.5 percent compared to a year ago. The Canadian swine breeding herd was down 0.9 percent and their market hog inventory was 0.5 percent smaller than at the start of 2012.

Their sheep and lamb inventory was up 0.7 percent. Canada’s total cattle inventory on Jan. 1 was up 0.5 percent. Beef cow numbers were down 1 percent and milk cow numbers up 0.1 percent. The number of heifers being kept for breeding herd replacement was up 3.4 percent. The 2012 calf crop in Canada was 2.5 percent smaller than the year before.

Thursday afternoon’s calculated pork cutout value was $78.91 per cwt., down $2.40 from the previous Thursday, down $5.08 from this week last year, and the lowest of any date since Sept. 25, 2012. Ham, loins, bellies, and butts were all lower this week.

Despite the drop in pork cutout, the national average negotiated carcass price for direct delivered hogs on the morning report Friday, March 8 was $74.23 per cwt., up $3.80 from the previous Friday. Eastern Corn Belt hogs averaged $74.40 this morning. Neither the Western Corn Belt nor Iowa-Minnesota had a morning price quote.
Peoria, Ill., had a live top of $49 per cwt., on Friday, March 8. Zumbrota, Minn., topped at $52 per cwt. The top for interior Missouri live hogs Friday, March 8 was $53.50 per cwt., $3 lower than the previous Friday. The national average hog carcass price Friday morning was 94.1 percent of the cutout value.

Hog slaughter last week totaled 2.201 million head, up 1.5 percent from the previous week and up 3.2 percent compared to the same week last year.

The average barrow and gilt live weight in Iowa-Minnesota last week was 276.1 pounds, down 0.1 pound from a week earlier and unchanged from a year ago.

Friday’s (March 8) close for the April lean hog futures contract was $82.02 per cwt., up 90 cents from the previous Friday. 

May hog futures ended last week 72 cents higher at $90.12 per cwt. June hogs gained 33 cents last week to settle at $91.70 per cwt. by Friday, March 8. July hog futures ended last week at $92 per cwt.
Corn futures ended last week lower than the previous Friday.

The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and not necessarily those of Farm World. Readers with questions or comments for Ron Plain or Scott Brown may write to them in care of this publication.
3/15/2013