USDA Reports Galore on April 20, 2012

NEBRASKA CATTLE ON FEED UP 6 PERCENT

Nebraska feedlots, with capacities of 1,000 or more head, contained 2.53 million cattle on feed on April 1, according to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service, Nebraska Field Office.  This inventory was up 6 percent from last year and is the highest April inventory since the data series began in 1994.  

Placements in feedlots during March totaled 440,000 head, up 13 percent from 2011.  These are the highest March placements since the data series began in 1994.

Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 460,000 head, up 7 percent from last year, and the largest number of head marketed since the data series began in 1994.  Other disappearance during March totaled 20,000 head, compared with 10,000 head a year ago.



Iowa Cattle on Feed

Cattle  and  calves  on  feed  for  slaughter  in  Iowa  for  all feedlots  totaled  1,375,000  on April  1,  2012  according  to the USDA, National Agricultural  Statistics  Service,  Iowa Field Office.  The inventory is down 1 percent from March 1, 2012 but unchanged from April 1, 2011.   Feedlots with a  capacity  greater  than  1,000  head  had  670,000  head  on feed,  unchanged  from  last month  but  up  3  percent  from last  year.    Feedlots with  a  capacity  less  than  1,000  head had 705,000 head on feed, down 2 percent from last month and down 3 percent from last year.

Placements  during  March  totaled  133,000  head,  a decrease of 1 percent from last month and down 17 percent from  last  year.    Feedlots  with  a  capacity  greater  than  1,000 head placed 73,000 head, down 14 percent from last month and down 10 percent from last year.  Feedlots with a capacity less than 1,000 head placed 60,000 head. This is up 20 percent  from  last month but down 25 percent  from last year.

Marketings  for March were 144,000 head, up 21 percent from  last  month  but  down  9  percent  from  last  year. Feedlots with a capacity greater than 1,000 head marketed 71,000  head,  up  15  percent  from  last  month  but  down 9 percent  from  last  year.      Feedlots with  a  capacity  less than 1,000 head marketed 73,000 head, up 28 percent from last  month  but  down  9  percent  from  last  year.  Other disappearance totaled 4,000 head.



United States Cattle on Feed Up 2 Percent
   
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 11.5 million head on April 1, 2012. The inventory was 2 percent above April 1, 2011. The inventory included 7.17 million steers and steer calves, up 1 percent from the previous year. This group accounted for 62 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 4.25 million head, up 4 percent from 2011.

Placements in feedlots during March totaled 1.79 million, 6 percent below 2011. Net placements were 1.72 million head. During March, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 390,000, 600-699 pounds were 300,000, 700-799 pounds were 500,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 602,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during March totaled 1.92 million, 4 percent below 2011.  Other disappearance totaled 69,000 during March, 30 percent above 2011.

Click here for more state by state information...  http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/viewDocumentInfo.do?documentID=1020. 



Commercial Red Meat Production Down 4 Percent From Last Year

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.17 billion pounds in March, down 4 percent from the 4.35 billion pounds produced in March 2011.

Beef production, at 2.16 billion pounds, was 5 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.75 million head, down 7 percent from March 2011. The average live weight was up 23 pounds from the previous year, at 1,299 pounds.

Veal production totaled 10.0 million pounds, 18 percent below March a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 59,400 head, down 19 percent from March 2011. The average live weight was down 1 pound from last year, at 283 pounds.

Pork production totaled 1.99 billion pounds, down 3 percent from the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 9.52 million head, down 4 percent from March 2011. The average live weight was up 1 pound from the previous year, at 279 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 14.2 million pounds, was up 1 percent from March 2011. Sheep slaughter totaled 190,200 head, 2 percent below last year. The average live weight was 149 pounds, up 3 pounds from March a year ago.

January to March 2012 commercial red meat production was 12.2 billion pounds, up slightly from 2011. Accumulated beef production was down 2 percent from last year, veal was down 9 percent, pork was up 2 percent from last year, and lamb and mutton production was up 7 percent.

State Red Meat Production Numbers for March 2012 (% of March 2011)
Iowa ..................:     564.5 million pounds (94%)      
Nebraska ...........:     605.7 million pounds (99%)



USDA Cold Storage Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 3 percent from the previous month and up 11 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 8 percent from the previous month and up 14 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 2 percent from the previous month but up 7 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 7 percent from last month and up 26 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on March 31, 2012 were up slightly from the previous month but down 7 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down 4 percent from the previous month and down 17 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 7 percent from last month and up 15 percent from March 31, 2011.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on March 31, 2012 were up 2 percent from the previous month but down 2 percent from March 31, 2011.  Butter stocks were up 3 percent from last month and up 46 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks were down 11 percent from last month but up 4 percent from a year ago.  Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 9 percent from last month but up 1 percent from a year ago.



March Milk Production Up 4.3 Percent
                       
Milk production in the 23 major States during March totaled 16.5 billion pounds, up 4.3 percent from March 2011. February revised production at 15.1 billion pounds, was up 8.2 percent from February 2011. The February revision represented a decrease of 13 million pounds or 0.1 percent from last month's preliminary production estimate.  Adjusting February production for the additional day due to leap year causes February revised production to be up 4.5 percent on a per day basis.

Production per cow in the 23 major States averaged 1,931 pounds for March, 59 pounds above March 2011.

The number of milk cows on farms in the 23 major States was 8.52 million head, 94,000 head more than March 2011, and 9,000 head more than February 2012.

January - March Milk Production Up 5.2 Percent
Milk production in the United States during the January - March quarter totaled 51.0 billion pounds, up 5.2 percent from the January - March quarter last year. The average number of milk cows in the United States during the quarter was 9.25 million head, 86,000 head more than the same period last year.

State Quarter 1 Milk Production Statistics...
Iowa ...............:  205,000 cows - 1,130,000,000 pounds -  +3.4% from Q1 2011     
Nebraska ........:  56,000 cows - 295,000,000 pounds - +1.7% from Q1 2011