SJ_LS712
St Joseph, MO          Fri Sep 05, 2008          USDA Market News
Estimated Weekly Meat Production Under Federal Inspection

     Total red meat production under Federal inspection for the week
ending Saturday, September 06, 2008 was estimated at 866 million lbs.
according to the U.S.Department of Agriculture's Marketing Service.
This was 10.5 percent lower than a week ago and 0.0 percent lower
than a year ago.  Cumulative meat production for the year to date was
4.5 percent higher compared to the previous year.

                        Meat Production (millions of pounds)
                             (excludes condemned)
Week Ending       Beef     Calf/Veal     Pork (2) Lamb/Mutton  Totals (3)
  06-Sep-08       460.8          2.4        400.1         2.7     866.0
  30-Aug-08       530.4          2.8        431.6         3.0     967.8
   Change:        -13.1%       -14.3%        -7.3%      -10.0%    -10.5%
  08-Sep-07       478.0          2.0        383.7         2.7     866.4
   Change:         -3.6%        20.0%         4.3%        0.0%      0.0%
  2008 YTD      18128.4         92.9      15549.3       114.0   33884.6
  2007 YTD      17900.7         96.6      14317.0       119.2   32433.5
   Change:          1.3%        -3.8%         8.6%       -4.4%      4.5%
(1)Previous week estimates may be revised. Year ago data are actuals.
(2) Excludes lard.      (3) Totals may not add due to rounding.
2008 totals are subject to revision
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        Livestock Slaughter (head)
Week Ending   Cattle    Calves/Vealers     Hogs   Sheep/Lambs
  06-Sep-08     590,000       17,000    2,055,000      40,000
  30-Aug-08     680,000       20,000    2,218,000      44,000
   Change:        -13.2%       -15.0%        -7.3%       -9.1%
  08-Sep-07     606,000       13,000    1,932,000      42,000
   Change:         -2.6%        30.8%         6.4%       -4.8%
  2008 YTD   23,518,000      608,000   77,629,000   1,620,000
  2007 YTD   23,347,000      521,000   71,322,000   1,709,000
   Change:          0.7%        16.8%         8.8%       -5.2%
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                     Average Weights (lbs)
Week Ending Live:          Cattle    Calves/Vealers    Hogs   Sheep/Lambs
  06-Sep-08   Estimate          1285          247         261       136
  30-Aug-08   Estimate          1281          242         261       135
  08-Sep-07     Actual          1285          274         265       130
            Dressed:
  06-Sep-08   Estimate           783          146         195        68
  30-Aug-08   Estimate           782          142         195        68
  08-Sep-07     Actual           791          163         199        65
------------------------------------------------------------------------
           Percentage of Total Cattle Slaughtered by Class
Week Ending    Steers      Heifers        Cows           Bulls
  23-Aug-08       50.6%        28.9%        18.4%        2.2%
  25-Aug-07       52.3%        30.7%        15.3%        1.7%

           Percentage of Total Hogs Slaughtered by Class
Week Ending Barrows & Gilts                 Sows                 Boars
  23-Aug-08       96.5%                      3.0%                  0.4%
  25-Aug-07       96.4%                      3.2%                  0.5%

*2007 slaughter totals adjusted to reflect NASS revisions
Source: USDA Market News, St Joseph, MO
        816-238-0678   e-mail stjoe.lgmn@usda.gov
        www.ams.usda.gov/LSMarketNews

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