WA_LS666
Des Moines, IA     Thu, Nov 19, 2009     USDA Market News

New Zealand Meat and Wool Export Summary and Prices

BEEF: According to NZX Agrifax, U.S. imported bull gained further this
week. The hike in prices over the past two weeks has come about as the
availability of imported bull remains very tight. It is still very early
in NZ's slaughter season, but bull numbers are already well down on where
many market participants expected them to be.  The strengthening U.S.
imported market has flowed through to farm gate prices with an average
4c/kg lift in schedule prices across the grades.

LAMB:  In the past month, the value of the NZ dollar has declined by 3%
against the British Pound. However, this is still 13% above its level at
the same time last year and 177% above the average of the previous five
years at this time. Meanwhile, the UK CKT lamb leg CIF price is at the
same level as this time last year and appears to have hit a ceiling for
the time being. A further decline in schedules of up to 15c/kg was
experienced across the country. This has seen the schedule price of a
17.5kg lamb slip below $90 for the first time since March 2009. Prime
lambs at the saleyards appear to have come into line with the schedules,
particularly in the North Island where a medium prime lamb is also
fetching a little below $90.

Beef $/CWT                                     Week Ending      Week Ending
                                                   11/14/09         11/07/09
P2 Steer    542-595 lbs                              97.07            94.35
(4-7 mm)    653-705 lbs                             100.70            97.98
(Fat)       650-705 lbs                             102.06            98.88
            705-761 lbs                             102.51            99.34

M Cow       375-430 lbs                              60.33            57.61
(0-1 mm)    430-485 lbs                              62.14            59.42
            485-540 lbs                              63.96            61.24

Bull        653-705 lbs                              92.99            90.27

Lamb  ($/Head)               Fat Cover
                                  (mm)
            24 lbs                0-6                28.18            28.71
            33 lbs                7-12               56.99            57.86
            46 lbs                7-12               77.74            78.29

Pelt        2 lb                                      0.38             0.38

Ewe  ($/Head)
            46 lbs                                   31.67            31.12

Wool  (c/cwt clean)           (microns)
            Fine                  21                335.21           329.77
            Medium                25                258.10           254.01
            Coarse                35                108.41            96.62


Notes:      All prices are U.S. Dollars.
            All meat prices are carcass based and net to farmers.
            Lamb values include a 1 kg shorn pelt.
            Ewe values at 0.5 kg pelt.

Source:     NZX AgriFax Limited, New Zealand
            515-284-4460
            http://www.ams.usda.gov/LSMarketNews

8:38        adr


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