The USDA's monthly Cold Storage report showed that meat and poultry stocks in freezers as of December 31, 2012 were at their highest levels since 2008. Total frozen stocks were 12.2% higher than the previous year and the largest year-over-year increase was seen in turkey stocks, which were up 40% from 2011 levels. Frozen pork inventories remained large as well, up 14.4% from the previous year, though slightly lower than November levels. Chicken stocks continued to run higher than the previous year, driven mainly by increased leg product inventories.

1. Sponsored by
Vol. 11, No. 16 / January 23, 2013
USDA’s monthly Cold Storage report, released yester- MEAT IN COLD STORAGE
day, indicate that there is PLENTY of meat and poultry protein
Total Meat Beef Chicken Pork Turkey
products in freezers as of December 31, 2012. That statement, of
course, could have been made pretty much every month since April Individual Species Total Meat & Poultry
but the 12.2% higher inventories as of December 31 represents the
1200 2400
largest year-on-year comparison of month-end frozen stocks since
they were 13.9% larger back in December 2008. But note that this
. 1000
t 2000 .
t
comparison is being made to the lowest December stocks since
W W
2003 in 2012. The 2.024 billion pounds of product in freezers this C C
T 800 1600 T
past December 31 is still nearly 10% lower than that the December R
/ R
/
c
r c
r
record level in 2008. a a
C 600 1200 C
The monthly data appear in the chart at right. Note that all ,
. ,
.
s s
b b
individual species are read off the left axis while the total (represent- L
. 400
l
L
.
l
i 800 i
ed by the green bars) is read off the right axis. Data for all species M M
and individual cuts for December 31 appear in the table on page 2.
200 400
Some highlights of the report are:
• The largest percentage year-on-year increase for any species is 0 0
for turkey, 295.1 million pounds of which were in freezers on 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
December 31. That is an increase of 40% from last year and
15.6% from last month. Turkey stocks have been moving gen- • Chicken supplies continue to run significantly higher than one
erally higher for three years now and the November seasonal year ago with December 31 stocks coming in at 679.3 million
low point this year was at its highest level since 2004 with the pounds, up 7.9% yr/yr. That total is also just over 1% larger than
exception of 2008. at the end of November.
• Stocks of whole birds, which generally account for about one • The primary culprits for chicken stocks remain leg products
third of turkey stocks, were the biggest factor in the rise of turkey which generally go to export markets. Inventories of every hind
inventories from November and 2012. The 95.2 million pounds quarter product except thighs and thigh quarters were sharply
of whole birds in freezers was 76% more than last year and 22% higher than last year. The total stock of leg quarters, legs, thigh
more than at the end of November. Breast stocks were 45% and thigh quarters and thigh meat on December 31 was 138.293
larger than last year and 10% larger than in November. million pounds, 9.3% higher than last year.
• Frozen pork inventories, though slightly lower than at the end of • Breast and breast meat stocks were quite close to year-ago lev-
November, remain large as well at 554.413 million pounds. That els and 5% higher than last month.
figure is 14.4% larger than last year. This year’s December 31
pork stocks are the second largest ever for December, trailing • The 69.4 million pounds of wings in freezers was 68% higher
only those of 2008. than last year. The combination of higher production (chicken
output was larger than one year ago in 11 of 13 Q4-2012 weeks
• The primary culprit in the increase in pork stocks is ribs — an
and was up 3.8%, yr/yr, for the quarter based on weekly data),
unusual one from a historical standpoint but a continuation of a these sharply higher stocks and record-high prices of over $2/lb.
pattern for 2012. The 109.35 million pounds of ribs in freezers is clearly point to remarkable demand for chicken wings. This, of
48% higher than last year and 6% higher than last month. The course, is normally the seasonal high for chicken wing demand
quantity is record large and represents about 20% of total pork as people prepare for Super Bowl parties (how about those Har-
stocks. The 35.394 million pounds INCREASE in frozen rib baugh boys, by the way?) but this recent data just reinforces
stocks accounted for about half of the increase in total pork in what has been a remarkable year for wings. And the trend
freezers versus one year ago. shows no signs of stopping — yet.
• Ham stocks remain large relative to last year (+47%) but the • Frozen beef supplies were 5.4% larger than last month but were
81.9 million pounds in freezers on December 31 was 16.2% low- only 1.8% higher than last year. The year-year comparison for
er than just one month ago so it appears that holiday ham move- boneless beef, which comprises about 85% of the total in most
ment was good. Bone-in stocks are down sharply from last months, was a bit different with Dec 31 stocks coming in 1.7%
month (-41%) at 28.2 million pounds. lower than last year.
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2. Sponsored by
Vol. 11, No. 16 / January 23, 2013
USDA Cold Storage Report
January 22, 2013
Product Quantity in All Warehouses Current as pct. of:
12/31/11 11/30/12 12/31/12 12/31/11 11/30/12
Chicken -------------- Thous. Lbs. ----------------
Whole Chickens 17694 11,518 13,902 78.6 120.7
Hens, Mature Chickens 1586 1,213 1,109 69.9 91.4
Breasts & Breast Meat 131445 124,359 130,617 99.4 105.0
Drumsticks 26228 17,082 19,066 72.7 111.6
Leg Quarters 79900 84,744 97,745 122.3 115.3
Legs 9710 17,152 13,286 136.8 77.5
Thigh & Thigh Quarters 10293 7,551 8,196 79.6 108.5
Thigh Meat 17216 16,929 21,229 123.3 125.4
Wings 41194 74,858 69,385 168.4 92.7
Paws and Feet 37775 24,686 24,743 65.5 100.2
Other 256750 291,699 280,006 109.1 96.0
Total Chicken 629,791 671,791 679,284 107.9 101.1
Turkey
Whole Turkeys 54,033 77,897 95,249 176.3 122.3
Toms (Whole) 20,440 39,376 46,539 227.7 118.2
Hens (Whole) 33,593 38,521 48,710 145.0 126.5
Breasts 37,140 48,908 53,954 145.3 110.3
Legs 22,928 15,450 18,799 82.0 121.7
Mech. Deboned Turkey 6,663 8,072 8,855 132.9 109.7
Other Turkey 32,240 28,000 29,755 92.3 106.3
Unclassified 57,783 76,864 88,492 153.1 115.1
Total Turkey 210,787 255,191 295,104 140.0 115.6
Ducks 2,402 1,540 2,363 98.4 153.4
Total Poultry 842,980 928,522 976,751 115.9 105.2
Frozen Pork
Picnics, Bone-in 9,337 8,512 7,956 85.2 93.5
Hams, Total 55,726 97,683 81,901 147.0 83.8
Bone-in 15,529 47,990 28,204 181.6 58.8
Boneless 3/ 40,197 49,693 53,697 133.6 108.1
Bellies 41,469 23,837 36,841 88.8 154.6
Loins, Total 42,041 48,999 42,102 100.1 85.9
Bone-in 14,971 15,659 15,764 105.3 100.7
Boneless 4/ 27,070 33,340 26,338 97.3 79.0
Ribs 5/ 73,956 103,126 109,350 147.9 106.0
Butts 19,585 30,049 25,925 132.4 86.3
Trimmings 6/ 48,668 47,874 52,960 108.8 110.6
Other 7/ 96,892 104,393 102,456 105.7 98.1
Variety Meats 8/ 35,419 28,855 28,002 79.1 97.0
Unclassified 9/ 61,404 65,360 66,920 109.0 102.4
Total Pork 484,497 558,688 554,413 114.4 99.2
Frozen Beef
Boneless 1/ 397,316 368,705 390,755 98.3 106.0
Beef Cuts 2/ 59,907 73,054 74,737 124.8 102.3
Total Beef 457,223 441,759 465,492 101.8 105.4
Other Meat
Veal 2,881 3,942 5,303 184.1 134.5
Lamb & Mutton 16,857 18,978 21,679 128.6 114.2
Total Other Meat 19,738 22,920 26,982 136.7 117.7
Total Meat 961,458 1,023,367 1,046,887 108.9 102.3
Total Meat & Poultry 1,804,438 1,951,889 2,023,638 112.1 103.7