Broiler production struggled for much of the year to keep up with increased demand, especially the demand created by retail inflation and more substitution by consumers for chicken and cheaper cuts of red meat. The August WASDE projected an increase in production in Q4 of this year based on egg and chick placements. August, so far, has shown production catching up with demand, at least compared to last year. At the end of June, first half production was 101.4 percent of last year. In July, production was 101.3 percent of 2021. Weekly slaughter for the last three weeks in August is 102.5 percent of last year.
There is, however, some differences among the weight categories of birds. Lighter (food service) birds are...
What You Need to Know Today: Crude oil prices extended their rally today, supported by several developments, including escalating Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabian oil infrastructure and growing concerns about supply disruptions. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove 50 perc...
Key Takeaways: The agricultural trade surplus has become a sizable deficit: the balance swung from a $40.1 billion surplus in 2011 to a $40.7 billion deficit in 2025. Imports kept growing while exports lost momentum: between 2020 and 2025, agricultural imports increased 45 percent, compa...
USDA released its October Cattle on Feed report Friday, showing 11.4 million cattle in feedlots with capacity for 1,000 head or more, slightly below last year. September placements were the lowest for the month since records began in 1996, marking the third consecutive month of placements sett...
Total Red Meat & Poultry September 2026 total red meat and poultry stocks totaled 1.97 billion pounds, down 1.4 percent from August despite typically increasing 0.8 percent during the month, and were 1.5 percent below September 2025 levels. The decline pushed total inventories to a new five...
