USDA released its monthly Cold Storage report today. Pork in cold storage as of 31 December was 408.361 MMT, 97 percent of November and 70 percent of December 2019, led by drops in primal cuts virtually across the board. That is good news for hog producers given the disruptions of 2020 – the volume continued to move. Boneless loins inventories were at record highs for December, while bone-in hams were at a record low for December. Production of bone-in hams for the second half of the year was up given the effects of COVID on fabrication.
Pork production in 2020 was 102 percent of 2019, which was a good recovery after the spring plant shutdowns and the euthanization of pigs. The increase was driven by heavier weights; the average s...
What You Need to Know Today: Russia rejected calls for a ceasefire in the Black Sea, including a proposal to halt attacks on civilian shipping that could help restore grain flows from Ukrainian ports. Tyson Foods announced plans to permanently close its Joslin, Illinois, beef processing facili...
The big news in the cattle markets yesterday was Tyson Foods’ move to close two more beef plants. One of them, the Joslin, Illinois, plant was shuttered immediately after the announcement. The other, in Eagle Mountain, Utah, is a case-ready plant that does not slaughter cattle. Tyson also...
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the Consumer Price Index (CPI) on Wednesday. In July, the CPI rose 0.1 percent, seasonally adjusted, and rose 3.4 percent over the last 12 months, not seasonally adjusted. The index for all items less food and energy, or the “core” infla...
