US broiler meat production estimates increase

In the US, broiler meat production reached 15.5 bln pounds from January to end May this year. This represents an increase of 5.3% from the first 5 months in 2007.

According to USDA’s Livestock, Dairy & Poultry Outlook report, overall production is not slowing as much as was earlier predicted, and so estimates for the rest of the calendar year have increased.

New estimates for the 3nd, 3rd and 4th quarter of 2008 are now 9.45 billion pounds, 9.25 billion pounds and 9.2 billion pounds, respectively, and the for the 2008 estimate is just greater than 37 billion pounds (2.4% higher than 2007).

This is attributed to the rise of the average weight of slaughter and the fewer number of chicks placed out for growout in 2008 as compared to 2007.

However, due to the expected increase in the cost of corn and soybean meal in late 2008, the estimate for 2009 broiler production was lowered to 36.6 bln pounds (1% drop).

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