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Pork
Export Picture Not as Bad as It Looks
August exports totaled 307.573 million pounds, carcass
weight, 18.4% smaller than one year ago but 27% larger than in August
2007. That makes this the second-largest August on record for U.S. pork
exports. U.S. pork imports were 5.4% larger this August vs. one year
ago, marking the first month this year that imports were larger than one
year earlier.
August brings year-to-date (YTD) exports to 2.648 billion pounds,
carcass weight, which puts the YTD total 19.2% lower than one year ago.
The YTD percentage through July was 19.3% below the previous year. So
far in 2009, the U.S. pork industry has exported 17.7% of total
carcass-weight production. That compares to 21.5% for January through
August 2008.
Figure 1 again demonstrates the point I have made many times this year:
2009 exports are disappointing only when compared to 2008. Recall that
July 2009 exports were 25% lower than those of July 2008, but 61% larger
than in July 2007. The numbers for August were not quite so dramatic,
but were impressive nonetheless – down 18.4% from last year but 26.9%
higher than two years ago.
If we compare this year to the 2004-2007 trend (the purple line in
Figure 1), things look much better. While August did make the third
month this year that exports have fallen short of this longer-term
trend, YTD U.S. exports are still 3.8% higher than that 2004-2007 trend
– admirable if not for 2008.
FULL ARTICLE
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Calculating Litters/Mated Female/Year
Litters/mated female/year is a key number in measuring
female productivity. It is behind only pigs weaned/mated female/year
and tied with pigs weaned/female farrowed in importance in the Swine
Management Services (SMS) Production Index.
The farms selected for the data set had to be in production for more
than three years and weaning a minimum of 22 pigs weaned/mated
female/year during the prescribed time period. There were 397 farms out
of 619 (64%) that met these criteria.
The Swine Management Services, LLC data set was divided into four
groups:
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Agriculture Appropriations Bill Passed
Congress has completed action on the fiscal year 2010
agriculture appropriations bill. The bill now goes to President Obama
for his signature. The bill totals $121.2 billion in discretionary
spending ($23.3 billion) and mandatory program spending ($97.8 billion).
A key item in the bill is the provision to allow the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) to proceed with a rule that would allow importation
of processed chicken products from China. A prohibition had been placed
on USDA for the past two years on proceeding with the rule. This
prohibition had become a major trade problem with the Chinese.
Other key items in the bill include a one-year extension of child
nutrition programs (school lunch, school breakfast, etc.). These
programs were to expire on Sept. 30. Congress sent a warning to USDA by
cutting the funding for the National Animal Identification System
(NAIS). The conference report accompanying the bill states, “If
significant progress is not made, we will consider eliminating funding
for the program.” (National Hog Farmer Oct. 2 edition of this
e-newsletter contains more details on the bill.)
Record Corn Yield and Soybean Crop — USDA is predicting the
highest corn yield and the largest soybean crop in U.S. history for the
2009/2010 marketing year that began on Oct. 1. USDA predicts corn
yields will average 164.2 bu./acre. This is an increase of 10.3 bu.
compared to last year. Total corn production is estimated at 13.0
billion bushels. USDA predicts the largest soybean crop in U.S. history
of 3.25 billion bushels. Soybean yields are estimated to average 42.5
bu./acre. This would be the third-largest soybean yield on record.
Congress to Review Economic Conditions of the Pork Industry —
On Oct. 22, the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy, and
Poultry will conduct a hearing on the economic conditions facing the
pork industry. Witnesses will include USDA, pork producers and industry
officials.
FULL ARTICLE
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U.S. Pig
Tests Positive For Novel H1N1 Flu Virus
The Agriculture Department’s National Veterinary
Services Laboratory (NVSL), Ames, IA, has confirmed the presence of 2009
pandemic H1N1
influenza virus in a pig sample collected at the Minnesota State
Fair submitted by the University of Minnesota. Additional samples are
being tested.
The
sample is the first positive diagnosis of the novel flu virus in
U.S. swine. The virus has circulated widely in the human population
worldwide since it was first discovered in April 2009.
“We have fully engaged our trading partners to remind them that
several international organizations, including the World Organization
for Animal
Health, have advised that there is no scientific basis to restrict
trade in pork and pork products,” says Vilsack. “People cannot get
this flu from eating pork or pork products. Pork
is safe to eat.”
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Nov. 5-6, 2009: 17th Annual Swine Disease
Conference for Swine Practitioners, Scheman Building, Iowa State
University (ISU), Ames, IA; contact ISU by phone (515) 294-6222, fax
(515) 294-6223 or e-mail cepd-info@iastate.edu.
Nov. 9-11, 2009: Joint International Educational
Symposium on Animal Welfare, The Kellogg Hotel; Conference Center,
Michigan State
University, Lansing, MI; contact: http://www.avma.org/awsymposium.
Nov. 10, 2009: University of
Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture Program’s Swine
Institute, Courtyard by Marriott, Columbia, MO; contact: for
registration, Erica Lovercamp at (573) 882-9552 or lovercampe@missouri.edu or for
programming, Katrina Turner at (573) 882-0378 or turnerka@missouri.edu.
FULL ARTICLE
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