Chicken Market Update- Week of 4/23

Market Update

· Retail has picked up and the items chosen for ads are in dark meat; drums, thighs, and hindquarters.

· Drums are in short supply, while thighs are also hard to find.

· While white meat (mainly breast meat) is still abundant, although prices are stable, tenders are still short.

· B/I breasts have tighten up.

· Wings are still a wild card. The pipelines are still unfilled, so the supply and demand are in line.

· Thigh meat demand has also risen for fresh, so frozen inventories are in short supply.

· Overall the tone is bullish.

Chicken Market Update- Week of 3/19

Market Update

· Wings and Tenders are currently nonexistent. A little panic buying is going on right now, but there are a few items which are very hard to find.

· March Madness is helping wings, but should subside over next few weeks. Also, some out front buying is putting pressure on wings.

· Processors are grabbing all tenders.

· Thigh meat is the next item which is becoming scarce, and I mean scarce. If this is an indication for forward months, we all are in big trouble. All dark meat….. bnls and bone in is tight. Expect retailers to feature these items heavily after Easter.

· Breast meat is the only item with a little excess inventory this week, but with the weather improving back east and Easter and Lent season approaching, supplies should tighten up, big time.

· Forecast for poultry remains bullish for this summer, demand should heat up.

Chicken Market Update- Week of 2/13

Market Update

· I’m starting to believe there is very little credibility in the poultry market. It’s hard to understand what it actually happening these days, when information is slanted, availability is shaded and information is outright withheld or exaggerated. But one thing is clear, over production is still the issue. When this is the case, production availability is usually guarded or sheltered until the selling heats up. So usually the buyer doesn’t know if there is excessive inventories or minimal inventories. I think this leads to the volatility, because the buyers never get a straight answer. It’s dog eat dog.

· Breast meat seems to be better this week than last…… But crap, that could change tomorrow, because someone could release a bunch of product they were waiting to sell and trying to seem like they were sold out. That’s how this game seems to be playing out, not showing all the cards. This brings much confusion and unpredictability, but it does seem breast meat and tenders have leveled out (for now).

· Wings are still fairly steady, but would expect some discounting soon.

· Dark meat seems very steady, other than drumsticks.

· Thigh meat seems steady with freezer stock still limited.

· Overall a better tone, but no light at the end of the tunnel…yet.

Poultry Market Update for the week of 12/12

· Wings, Wings, Wings….that is all anyone gives a crap about. Just wings; everything else is just in a holding pattern.

· Fresh breast meat seems a little more neglected this week. Very weak demand, although limited supplies…still can’t keep prices from falling some.

· Bone in whole breast seem hard to find, although the prices on formal market hold steady even as packers can sell for more money.

· Dark meat has seemed to level off.

· Leg meat seems more abundant, which in turn should help keep thigh meat prices steady (for a few weeks).

· After December, thigh meat and leg meat should move down some as fresh needs subside.

· The word is things should generally improve going into the new year.

· The industry is hoping for better demand with more limited supplies after first of the year.

Poultry Market Update for the week of 10/10

Market Update

· All is quiet in the poultry industry. There is optimism that further cut backs are still on the way to help breast meat pricing, but we’re still seeing adequate to a little excessive inventory.

· Pricing still very subpar considering corn around $6.00. corn has dropped from $7.50, but still a long way from profitability even at $6.00. Most poultry producers now have their hopes pinned on a mid November sustain cut back target date. They are hoping most cut backs will be in full force by then, with year over year cut backs equating to 9-10% less over all birds and weight similar to year prior. If this truly is the case- (which these bozos don’t always tell the truth) - the pricing should start moving up?! We shall see.

· Most items are steady this week, with trade levels on breast meat a little higher than last week.

· Dark meat seems to have slowed down, and I still expect the formal market on thigh meat to drop soon.

· Wings still the hot item, and everything else fairly steady.

· First of the month retail ads seem less prevalent, but inventories and export market keep inventories in check.