Released November 4, 2009
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The holiday season, 2009, comes against an economic backdrop the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades. And U.S. turkey growers have not been immune from higher costs and somewhat weaker sales.
Turkey producers have responded by cutting back production, or in some cases, closing their doors, said K-State Research and Extension poultry specialist Scott Beyer.
Following are recent U.S. Department of Agriculture turkey statistics as of July 2009 (released in September 2009) unless otherwise noted.
- U.S. turkey consumption per capita in 2008 was 17.6 pounds.
- U.S. turkey meat production in July was 486 million pounds, down 11 percent from July 2008. The decrease was attributed to a lower number of turkeys slaughtered, as average weights were actually up slightly.
- In July, the number of turkeys slaughtered was 21.5 million, a decrease of 11.2 percent from the previous year.
- The average live weight at slaughter was 28.4 pounds, marginally higher than the previous year.
- U.S. turkey production has increased nearly 300 percent since 1970 – National Turkey Federation.
- Including the value added to turkey through processing into a variety of cuts, parts and further processed products, the total value of U.S. turkey processors’ production in 2007 was more than $13.9 billion – National Turkey Federation.
- Over the first seven months of 2009, U.S. turkey meat production totaled 3.29 billion pounds, a 9.7-percent reduction from the same period in 2008. Forecasts for the third and fourth quarters of 2009 were 1.44 billion and 1.5 billion pounds. The forecast for the third quarter was down 8.2 percent from a year earlier, and expected production in the fourth quarter is down 5.2 percent. The estimate for 2009 production is 5.75 billion pounds, down 8 percent from 2008, due to reductions in the number of poults hatched, a result of the high feed and energy costs in the third and fourth quarters of 2008.
- Even with large decreases in turkey meat production over the first seven months of 2009, cold storage holdings have risen for whole birds. At the end of July, cold storage holdings of whole turkeys were 349 million pounds, up 20 percent from the previous year. The increase in whole-bird cold storage holding is a result of fewer birds being cut up for parts as demand in both the export and domestic market has slowed. The decline in demand for turkey parts has not resulted in higher cold storage holdings for turkey parts. At the end of July, holdings of turkey parts totaled 291 million pounds, down 12 percent from a year earlier and 24 percent lower than at the end of July 2007.
- Total cold storage holdings were expected to expand to 635 million pounds by the end of the third quarter, up 2 percent from a year earlier. By the end of 2009, cold storage stocks of whole turkeys and turkey parts were forecast at 375 million pounds, down 5 percent from the end of 2008. This change in stocks compared with 2008 is due to both continued lower turkey production, which is expected to lower supplies, and the rapid buildup of stocks that occurred at the end of 2008 due to declining economic conditions.
- The accumulation of cold storage holdings of whole turkeys placed downward pressure on whole-bird prices. In August the wholesale price for whole hen turkeys in the Eastern market was 81 cents per pound, down 16 percent from August 2008 and down 2 percent from a month earlier. Normally, whole turkey prices strengthen through the summer months and peak for the year in late October or early November in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. Third-quarter 2009 prices for whole hens are forecast to average 83-84 cents per pound, down about 14 percent from third-quarter 2008. Prices in the fourth quarter are forecast to average 83-87 cents per pound.
Turkey: White Meat or Dark, What’s the Difference?
Turkey lovers typically fall into one of two camps: some favor white meat and others prefer dark meat. But how are they different, other than the color of the meat?
According to the National Turkey Federation, a 15-pound turkey generally has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
The two types of meat differ nutritionally. The white meat has fewer calories and less fat than the dark meat.
The rich flavor of dark meat is often used in soup and stew recipes. Dark meat also holds up well in rich marinades and for grilling and barbecuing.
Source: Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, USDA and National Turkey Federation
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http://www.ksre.ksu.edu/news/story/turkey_producers110409.aspx
Sources: Scott Beyer, 785-532-1201, sbeyer@ksu.edu
Writer: Mary Lou Peter, mlpeter@ksu.edu
