US beef stocks as at 30 September were 4.5% lower year-on-year, totalling 196,859 tonnes, according to the latest USDA Cold Storage Report. This indicates that end users are entering the holiday season with less stocks than usual - a reaction to the much lower cattle prices predicted for the October to December period (CME Daily Livestock Report). Also, the credit crisis and economic downturn have changed the way inventories are managed, with stocks now more tightly monitored.
       
       Imported beef supplies have also decreased, limiting the volume of frozen beef in storage. US beef production has also been lower this year.
       
       Total beef, pork, chicken and turkey stocks were estimated to be 6.1% lower than a year ago; however, they were 1.7% above the five-year average.
       
       Pork was the only meat protein to post a year-on-year increase in stocks, up 1.1% on a year earlier and 14.9% above the five-year average (Daily Livestock Report).
       
       Source: MLA, October 27,2009.