Cattle on Feed + Cold Storage Report - May 22, 2015

United States Cattle on Feed Up 1 Percent
   
Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter market in the United States for feedlots with capacity of 1,000 or more head totaled 10.6 million head on May 1, 2015. The inventory was 1 percent above May 1, 2014.

Placements in feedlots during April totaled 1.55 million, 5 percent below 2014. Net placements were 1.48 million head. During April, placements of cattle and calves weighing less than 600 pounds were 320,000, 600-699 pounds were 240,000, 700-799 pounds were 348,000, and 800 pounds and greater were 640,000.

Marketings of fed cattle during April totaled 1.64 million, 8 percent below 2014. April marketings are the lowest since the series began in 1996.  Other disappearance totaled 66,000 during April, 20 percent below 2014.

Cattle on Feed  (1,000 hd - as of 5/1/15 - % of May'14)
Colorado ............:                     900                 96       
Iowa ..................:                      660                100     
Kansas ...............:                   2,060               102      
Nebraska ...........:                   2,500               102     
Texas .................:                   2,410                99       


Cattle Placed        (1,000 hd - Apr'15 - % of Apr'14)
Colorado ............:                     145              112     
Iowa ..................:                       63                91        
Kansas ...............:                     315               97        
Nebraska ...........:                     390               93       
Texas .................:                     385               92      


Cattle Marketed     (1,000 hd - Apr'15 - % of Apr'14)
Colorado ............:                     120              92     
Iowa ..................:                       72               95      
Kansas ...............:                     355               92         
Nebraska ...........:                     405               98    
Texas .................:                     435               91      



USDA Cold Storage Highlights

Total red meat supplies in freezers at the end of April were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 20 percent from last year, according to USDA's Cold Storage Report released Friday morning. Total pounds of beef in freezers were down 1 percent from the previous month but up 18 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were up 4 percent from the previous month and up 20 percent
from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 3 percent from last month but down 16 percent from last year.

Total frozen poultry supplies on April 30, 2015 were up 6 percent from the previous month and up 21 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 31 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 14 percent from last month and up 5 percent from April 30, 2014.

Total natural cheese stocks in refrigerated warehouses on April 30, 2015 were up 1 percent from the previous month and up 4 percent from April 30, 2014.  Butter stocks were up 25 percent from last month and up 23 percent from a year ago.

Total frozen fruit stocks were down 7 percent from last month and down 3 percent from a year ago.  Total frozen vegetable stocks were down 7 percent from last month but up 3 percent from a year ago.