051123 Beef Imports Down, Cattle Slaughter Up

According to the most recent figures from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as of October 24, 2005, U.S. imports of beef products which fall under the tariff rate quota (TRQ), equaled 749,169 MT. This was 4.9 percent less than the same period a year ago. U.S. beef imports from Canada totaled 293,312 MT, up 3.5 percent over a year ago.

Imports from Canada are not subjected to a TRQ. Imports of beef from Australia were 8.3 percent less than last year, amounting to 247,762 MT. This filled 65.5 percent of Australia’s TRQ, compared to 71.4 percent a year ago. Beef imports from New Zealand were 14.1 percent lower than last year, amounting to 164,549 MT. This filled 77.1 percent of the country’s TRQ, down from 89.8 percent a year ago.

Neither Australia nor New Zealand is expected to fill its quota this year. Imports from Uruguay were slightly less than last year, totaling 14,419 MT, filling 72.1 percent of the TRQ, compared to 72.4 percent a year ago. The weekly U.S. beef TRQ status can be found on the CBP website at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/import/textiles_and_quotas/commodity/.

Recently, Statistics Canada released its quarterly Hog Statistics report. According to the data, the number of hogs and pigs in Canada on October 1 equaled 14.91 million head. This was a little less than the previous quarter but was 1.7 percent more than a year ago. During the first three quarters of 2005, U.S. imports of feeder pigs from Canada were down 11.1 percent from a year ago, amounting to 3.83 million head. Likewise, U.S. imports of Canadian slaughter hogs were 7.5 percent less than a year ago, totaling 1.96 million head. Canada’s breeding stock inventory totaled 1.64 million head, which was slightly lower than the previous quarter but was nearly 1.0 percent higher than last year. Of the total breeding stock 1.61 million head consisted of sows and bred gilts.

This was down a little from the previous quarter but was up 1.0 percent from a year ago. In Eastern Canada, hogs numbered 8.41 million head, down somewhat the previous quarter but up 1.5 percent over a year ago. In Western Canada, the number of hogs totaled 6.50 million head, which was slightly less than the previous quarter but was 1.9 percent more than a year ago. Canada’s pig inventory in the third quarter fell to some extent from the previous quarter to 13.27 million head. However, this was 1.8 percent higher than a year ago. Sows farrowed in Canada during the third quarter equaled 852,300 head, a little lower than a year ago. Sows farrowed accounted for 51.9 percent of the total breeding herd. Pigs born during the third quarter totaled 8.74 million head, nearly unchanged from last year. Canada’s year-to-date hog slaughter totaled 15.95 million head, which was relatively unchanged from last year.

According to Statistics Canada, prices for hogs have weakened this year despite the lifting of anti- dumping duties in April. Prices in the third quarter were 15.8 percent less than the same quarter in 2004. The report can be viewed in its entirety on the Statistics Canada website at http://www.statcan.ca/.

In conjunction with Canada’s Hog Statistics report, the USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) released the report United States and Canadian Hogs and Pigs on October 27. The publication details the total hogs, breeding, market hogs, sows farrowed and pig crop for both the U.S. and Canada. To obtain the report, go to the NASS website at http://www.usda.gov/nass/.

Recently, USDA NASS published its Livestock Slaughter report. According to the data, U.S. cattle slaughter during the third quarter of 2005 totaled 8.36 million head. This was 2.4 percent more than the previous quarter and was 1.8 percent more than a year ago. Accordingly, during the third quarter, U.S. beef production rose 6.0 percent over the previous quarter to 6.48 billion pounds. Also, this was up 3.3 percent over a year ago. At the end of September, live cattle weights equaled a record 1,278 pounds, which was up 10 pounds over last year. Total cattle slaughter for the year-to-date equaled 23.96 million head, down 1.5 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date beef production was nearly unchanged from last year, amounting to 18.23 billion pounds.

As of September 30, beef in U.S. cold storage facilities was 3.0 percent less than a year ago, totaling 443.7 million pounds. In the meantime, during the third quarter of 2005, U.S. hog slaughter totaled 25.24 million head. Although this was up 1.9 percent over the previous quarter, it was down 1.1 percent from the same quarter a year ago. U.S. pork production during the third quarter equaled 4.95 billion pounds.

This was slightly lower than the previous quarter and last year. The average live hog weight at the end of September was 265 pounds, compared to 266 pounds last year. Year-to-date U.S. hog slaughter totaled 75.31 million head, slightly less than last year. U.S. pork production during the first three quarters of 2005 was up a little from a year ago, amounting to 15.03 billion pounds. As of September 30, pork in U.S. cold storage totaled 427.0 million pounds, which was 3.2 percent more than a year ago. Meanwhile, during the third quarter, U.S. sheep and lamb slaughter totaled 622.5 thousand head. This was up nearly 1.0 percent from the previous quarter but was down 5.2 percent from a year ago. During the third quarter of 2005, lamb and mutton production fell 6.8 percent from the previous quarter to 42.4 million pounds.

This was a little higher than a year ago. Total year-to-date sheep and lamb slaughter was 4.2 percent less than last year, amounting to 1.91 million head. Accordingly, U.S. lamb and mutton production for the year- to-date was 3.1 percent lower than a year ago, totaling 133.4 million pounds. The entire monthly Livestock Slaughter and Cold Storage reports can be viewed on the NASS website at http://www.usda.gov/nass/.

On October 21, USDA NASS released its monthly Cattle on Feed report. According to the publication, as of October 1, the number of cattle and calves on feed for the U.S. slaughter market in feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.48 million head. This was relatively unchanged from a year ago but was 2.6 percent higher than two years ago. The inventory included 6.87 million head of steers and steer calves, which was up 6.2 percent from a year ago and accounted for 65.6 percent of the total. The number of heifers and heifer calves equaled 3.55 million head, 10.6 percent less than last year. During September, the number of cattle placed on feed fell nearly 1.0 percent from a year ago to 2.36 million head.

Also, this was down 4.8 percent from two years ago. More specifically, placements weighing less than 600 pounds equaled 565,000 head, 10.0 percent lower than a year ago. Feeder cattle placements weighing 600 to 699 pounds were 6.3 percent greater than a year ago, amounting to 505,000 head.

Placements of feeders weighing 700 to 799 pounds totaled 550,000 head, nearly unchanged from a year ago. The number of feeder cattle placements weighing more than 800 pounds increased 2.1 percent over last year to 735,000 head. Meanwhile, during September, fed cattle marketed numbered 1.82 million head. This was up nearly 1.0 percent from one year ago but was down 10.6 percent from two years ago.

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