US Broiler production in second quarter of 2013 below expectations

U.S. broiler production during the second quarter of 2013 did not grow as much as previously expected, prompting the United States Department of Agriculture to reduce its forecast for overall U.S. broiler production in 2013. In its August World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, the USDA forecast 37.73 billion pounds of broilers will be produced in the United States in 2013, down from the 37.77 billion pounds projected in the July report.
The July World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report included an estimate of 9.5 billion pounds produced during the second quarter of 2013. However, the agency adjusted its projections after the USDA's July Poultry Slaughter report showed broiler production for the quarter at 9.466 billion pounds, explained Shayle Shagam, USDA livestock, poultry and dairy analyst. Both the projected figure and the actual figure for broiler production in the second quarter of 2013 were above broiler production during the second quarter of 2012, Shagam said, but the increase was only 0.9 percent instead of the expected 1.3 percent.
If the August projections for 2013 broiler production are realized, broiler production will increase 1.9 percent from 2012. The USDA forecast for 2014 broiler production remains at 38.9 billion pounds.