US Meat Set to Surpass Last Year's Output
US - The US government is still predicting a higher meat output from its cattle industry this year but revised it beef forecast lower.
17 March 2015
1 minute read
Ron Plain
February's WASDE report has been lowered by 0.7 per cent this month for beef output, leaving a 3.1 per cent increase in red meat and poultry products with broiler and pork figures also nudged higher.
Overall, this is 6.7 pounds more meat per person, explained Proffesors Ron Plain and Scott Brown, University of Missouri.
In his weekly cattle outlook, Professor Plain said beef trade had been dampened by record U.S. beef prices, a strong dollar, and labour problems at west coast ports.
"Year-over-year beef imports were up 63.7 per cent in January with all major suppliers shipping more beef to the U.S. U.S. beef exports were down 19.3 per cent in January compared to 12 months earlier with a decline in shipments to most major customers," wrote Messrs Plain and Brown.
"January beef exports equalled 8.28 per cent of U.S. production, the smallest share since September 2010. January beef imports equalled 15.1 per cent of production, the largest share since July 2006.
"Cattle imports from Canada were down 25.9 per cent in January. Cattle imports from Mexico were down 2.7 per cent compared to January 2014."
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