All Blog Posts Tagged 'beef' (32)

Chicken Production Changes

The chart of the week is weekly chicken production. Poor chicken producer margins that we have documented since last winter have finally led to a downturn in chicken production. Chicken output for the week ending October 4th was 3.9% smaller than last year. In the 2 weeks before that, chicken production was roughly 2.4% less than 2007. So far the bullish impact on the chicken markets has been tepid. Chicken wing prices have moved roughly 5% higher in recent weeks. However, chicken breast and… Continue

Added by David Maloni on October 10, 2008 at 10:57am — 1 Comment

Pork Spending

The chart of the week is US pork production. As one can tell from the chart below, pork production typically increases during the fall. As pork production seasonally increases into the fall the value of the pork cutout (index of pork prices) typically moves lower. Usually somewhere around 10% lower. Thus the coming weeks could be an opportune time to look at long term pork contracts. Why? Well first, a reduction in the swine breeding herd is expected to lead to a downturn in pork production in… Continue

Added by David Maloni on September 12, 2008 at 3:34am — No Comments

Beef Demand Confusion?

The chart of the week is recent USDA choice beef cutout and primal market average increases compared to the prior year. The USDA choice boxed beef cutout index is released daily and is used as an indicator of overall choice beef prices. The primal markets are indexes of the different sections of the bovine carcass. For the most part, the restaurant industry typically focuses on two primals, the ribeye and loin which produce most of the tender steaks that consumers enjoy at home and at… Continue

Added by David Maloni on September 4, 2008 at 2:26pm — No Comments

Can we fix our food safety system?

Question: When is news not really news?

Answer: When it’s the same old story, only slightly different details each time.

Last week Whole Foods initiated a multi-state recall of E.-coli-contaminated ground beef meat originating from vendor Coleman Natural Foods, who, in turn, relied on Nebraska Beef as a meat source. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has been investigating… Continue

Added by restaurantdotorg on August 14, 2008 at 5:40am — No Comments

Eventful Dairy Market Week

The chart of the week is monthly milk cow slaughter. June milk cow slaughter was slightly larger than a year ago but was basically even with the June prior 5 year average. Now one may think when they see this chart that the data is relatively uneventful. But uneventful data can be as newsworthy as sharp volatile swings sometimes. How so? Well the trade has been anticipating a reduction in the milk cow herd for some time now leading to slower milk production growth and tighter milk supplies.… Continue

Added by David Maloni on August 1, 2008 at 8:48am — 1 Comment

Beef Prices

As I wrote just over a month ago, the beef markets typically depreciate after the Memorial Day Holiday. And if you are a regular reader you would probably tell me that you are still waiting for the beef markets to decline. My reply would be, “So am I.” The beef markets have appreciated considerably since mid June climbing to their highest price levels in some time. Pretty impressive given the “challenged US economy” and $4.00 gasoline. Why are beef prices so high? Good question and I don’t… Continue

Added by David Maloni on July 10, 2008 at 12:00pm — No Comments

Beef Buying Opportunity Knocking?

The chart of the week is the weekly USDA choice boxed beef cutout which is an index of choice beef prices. The choice boxed beef cutout has hovered at relatively inflated levels for roughly 8 weeks after trading at historically low levels earlier this year. As noted in the Weekly Commodity Report, the USDA choice boxed beef cutout is anticipated to depreciate during the next few months. Why? Well weekly beef production typically rises into the deep spring remaining relatively strong well into… Continue

Added by David Maloni on June 5, 2008 at 10:08am — No Comments

The Protein Tipping Point

The chart of the week is US weekly sow slaughter. As I shared last week, broiler (chicken) egg sets have been in a decline during the past month and have fallen appreciably below year ago levels as chicken producers attempt to ration supplies in order to pressure chicken prices upward to account for the increase in feed costs. And as also as I shared last week, the chicken industry was not the only trade that was beginning to adjust production level plans. Hog producer margins, like the chicken… Continue

Added by David Maloni on May 8, 2008 at 11:38am — 1 Comment

Choice Beef Galore (a sequel)

The chart of the week is percentages of cattle grading choice and prime. As noted in recent issues of the Weekly Commodity Report, the percentage of cattle grading choice has trended well above prior year averages. During the past month, the percentage of cattle grading prime has climbed as well. With the increase in the percentage of cattle grading at premium levels we have experienced a notable surge in premium beef output. Thus the USDA choice boxed beef cutout index (a general indicator of… Continue

Added by David Maloni on April 17, 2008 at 2:25pm — 4 Comments

Take a BBQ Sauce/Spice Taste SURVEY~

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Added by Adam R. Cox on March 1, 2008 at 4:40pm — 3 Comments