Total red meat supplies in US freezers on March 31 were down 3% from Feb. 28 and down 2% from last year, the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service said in its monthly Cold Storage report Monday.
Total frozen poultry supplies at the end of March were down 1% from February and down 2% from a year ago, NASS said. Total chicken stocks were down 3% from the previous month and down 3% from last year.
BEEF STOCKS DOWN
Total pounds of beef on ice at the end of March were 450.657 million pounds, down 23.321 million, or 4.92%, from 473.978 million a month earlier and down 13.300 million, or 2.87% from 463.957 million last year.
Of the total, 444.336 million, or 98.6%, was stored in public warehouses.
Total pounds of boneless beef in cold storage on March 31, was 420.804 million pounds, down 24.817 million, or 5.57%, from 445.621 million a month earlier and off 5.428 million, or 1.27%, from 426.232 million a year earlier.
Beef cuts in cold storage came to 29.853 million pounds, up 1.496 million, or 5.28%, from 28.357 million in February but down 7.872 million, or 20.9%, from 37.725 million on March 31, 2018.
PORK SUPPLIES DIP
Total pounds of pork in US freezers, at 610.129 million pounds, were down 5.541 million, or 0.90%, from 615.670 million at the end of February and down 884,000, or 0.14%, from 611.013 million last year.
Of the total, 553.046 million, or 90.6%, was held in public warehouses.
Stocks of pork bellies were 58.788 million pounds, up 5.017 million, or 9.33%, from 53.771 million a month earlier but down 414,000, or 0.70%, from 59.202 million last year.
Pork ribs in cold storage came to 140.859 million pounds, down 1.747 million, or 1.23%, from 142.606 million a month earlier and down 3.098 million, or 2.15%, from 143.957 million a year earlier.
The total volume of hams in cold storage came to 103.470 million pounds, down 24.270 million, or 19.0%, from 127.740 million at the end of February but up7.131 million, or 7.40%, from 96.339 million a year earlier.
CHICKEN STORES DOWN
Total chicken stocks on ice at the end of March came to 845.546 million pounds, down 23.310 million, or 3.39%, from 868.856 million at the end of February and down 25.927 million, or 2.98%, from 871.473 million a year earlier.
Breasts and breast meat supplies totaled 176.749 million pounds, down 9.361 million, or 5.03%, from 186.110 million a month earlier and down 7.469 million, or 4.05%, from 184.218 million a year earlier.
Total dark meat supplies in cold storage were 156.494 million pounds, down 1.916 million, or 1.21%, from 158.410 million a month earlier and down 5.531 million, or 3.41%, from 162.025 million a year earlier.
Frozen turkey supplies amounted to 466.908 million pounds, up 14.729 million, or 3.26%, from 452.179 million a month earlier and up 3.923 million, or 0.85%, from 462.985 million a year earlier.
CATTLE, BEEF RECAP
Cash cattle trading last week was reported in the Plains at $126 per cwt up to $128, steady to up $2 from the previous week. Dressed-basis trade was reported at $207 to $208, up $3.
The USDA choice cutout Tuesday was down $0.37 per cwt at $234.11, while select was off $1.38 at $221.26. The choice/select spread widened to $12.85 from $11.84 with 88 loads of fabricated product sold into the spot market.
There were no tenders Tuesday for deliveries against the Apr futures contract.
The CME Feeder Cattle index for the seven days ended Monday, was $145.84 per cwt, down $0.13. This compares with Tuesday’s May contract settlement of $149.62, down $1.17.