US broiler eggs up two percent second week of January

Broiler-type eggs sets in the U.S. were up two percent January 12 from the previous week, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest broiler hatchery report, released January 16. Commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 197 million eggs in incubators during the most recent week.
Average hatchability for chicks was at 85 percent. Growers placed 165 million broiler-type chicks during the week ending January 12, with placements up one percent from the same week in 2012. Cumulative placements from December 30, 2012, through January 12, were at 328 million, up one percent from the same period in 2011–2012.
For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US turkey eggs in incubators down from December

U.S. turkey eggs in incubators on January 1 totaled 28.1 million, down 1 percent from the same date in 2012, but the number of eggs in incubators was up 5 percent from the December 1, 2012, total of 26.7 million eggs, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s latest turkey hatchery report.
Turkey poults hatched during December 2012 totaled 22 million, down 11 percent from December 2011, according to the report. Poults hatched were down 7 percent from the November 2012 total of 23.7 poults.
The 21.1 million net poults placed during December 2012 were down 12 percent from the number placed from December 2011, and net placements were down 9 percent from the November total of 23.2 million.
For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US poultry ready-to-cook weights up in November over 2011

U.S. poultry certified wholesome during November (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.57 billion pounds, up 3 percent from the amount certified in November 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The October revised certified total, at 3.97 billion pounds, was up 8 percent from October 2011. The October revision represented an increase of 198,000 pounds from the preliminary pounds certified.
The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during November was 4.73 billion pounds, up 3 percent from 4.6 billion pounds in 2011, according to the USDA. Young chickens inspected totaled 4.01 billion pounds, up 3 percent from November 2011. Mature chickens, at 59.3 million pounds, were down 5 percent from 2011 numbers. Turkey inspections totaled 642 million pounds, up slightly from 2011, and ducks totaled 14.1 million pounds, down 1 percent.
Young chickens slaughtered during November averaged 5.95 pounds per bird, up 2 percent from November 2011. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.73 pounds per bird, up slightly from 2011 numbers, according to the USDA, and turkeys slaughtered averaged 28.9 pounds per bird, up 3 percent.

For more poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US table egg production up in October

The U.S. table egg laying flock in October was estimated at 288 million hens, 2.2 percent above 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The number of hens in the table egg flock on a year-over-year basis was higher throughout the first 10 months of 2012. With higher hen numbers, the number of table eggs produced has increased. In October, table egg production was 574 million dozen, an increase of 2.2 percent from 2011, said the USDA. Table egg production on a year-over-year basis has been higher in every month so far in 2012.
Overall table egg production in the first 10 months of 2012 was 5.5 billion dozen, an increase of 1.3 percent from the same period in 2011. The table egg flock and table egg production are expected to be at higher levels than in 2011 through the remainder of 2012. At the beginning of November, the number of birds in the table egg flock was 291 million, up 2.5 percent from 2011 numbers, and table egg production is expected to total 1.72 billion dozen in the fourth quarter of 2012, up 2 percent from 2011.

U.S. egg prices
Even with larger table egg production, wholesale prices for eggs have continued to be strong, according to the USDA. The fourth-quarter 2012 wholesale price for one dozen Grade A eggs in the New York market is expected to average $1.30 to $1.33, roughly the same as in 2011. At the beginning of December, wholesale prices for Grade A large eggs in the New York market were approximately $1.38 per dozen.

Hatching egg production
Hatching egg production was lower than 2011 numbers throughout the first 10 months of 2012, according to the USDA report.

With lower broiler production, the decline in hatching egg production has largely been due to significantly lower production of meat-type hatching eggs in every month compared with 2011. Over the first 10 months of 2012, production of meat-type hatching eggs was 4 percent lower than in 2011, while the production of egg-type hatching eggs was 1 percent higher. Decreased production of meat-type eggs is expected to continue into the first half of 2013 until broiler integrators begin to expand production.
For more information and statistics on U.S. egg production, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

October US turkey production up 11 percent

U.S. turkey meat production in October totaled 580 million pounds, 11 percent higher than in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Much of the year-over-year gain was due to the two more slaughter days in October 2012, which more than offset the reverse situation in September (two fewer slaughter days), where turkey meat production fell by 4 percent compared with 2011. Over the last three months, turkey production has totaled 1.56 billion pounds, 4.3 percent higher than in the same period in 2011. In October, much of the increase in turkey production was due to a higher number of birds slaughtered, up 7.3 percent, but a 2.4-percent gain in the average liveweight of birds at slaughter to 29 pounds also played a role, according to the USDA.
Cold storage holdings of turkeys and turkey parts totaled 454 million pounds at the end of October. This 68-million-pound reduction from September was driven by many whole turkeys being taken out of storage in preparation for the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday. Between the end of September and the end of October, stocks of whole turkeys fell by 47 million pounds and stocks of turkey products fell by 21 million pounds, according to USDA numbers.
Even with the decline in whole turkey stocks, the stocks were still 25 percent higher than at the same time in 2011. In contrast, the stocks of turkey products (196 million pounds) were down 2 percent from 2011 numbers. This increase in cold storage holding for whole turkeys is a significant change from earlier in 2012 and is expected to place downward pressure on prices for the rest of fourth-quarter 2012 and into 2013.
Over the first 10 months of 2012, turkey poults placed for growout totaled 239 million, an increase of 3.1 percent from the same period in 2011, according to the USDA report. Over the last three months, the percentage change from 2011 has varied considerably, with the number of poults hatched in August and September down (2 and 7 percent). However, in October the number of poults placed totaled 22.7 million, a gain of 6 percent from 2011 numbers. Given higher stocks and lower prices for whole birds, turkey producers are expected to lower production in 2013.

For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US broiler meat production up 8 percent in October

U.S. broiler meat production was 3.3 billion pounds in October, up 8 percent from 2011 numbers, mostly because the month had two additional slaughter days compared with October 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report. In contrast, production in September was down 8 percent due to its having 2 fewer slaughter days than in 2011.
Examining broiler meat production over a slightly longer time frame shows that production has been very similar to 2011. Broiler meat production from August to October was only 0.3 percent less than in the same period in 2011.
In October 2012, the number of broilers slaughtered was up 6.3 percent to 746 million birds, while the average liveweight per bird was 5.95 pounds, an increase of 1.1 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the USDA. Broiler meat production for the fourth quarter of 2012 is forecast at 9.05 billion pounds, an increase of 50 million pounds from the previous estimate and 2.7 percent higher than in 2011. The fourth-quarter 2012 increase is expected to come from a greater number of broilers slaughtered and slightly higher average liveweights in the quarter.
The high corn prices forecast for the remainder of 2012 and into 2013, even with relatively strong prices for a number of broiler products (mostly whole birds, breast meat and wings), are expected to lead broiler integrators to scale back production in 2013. The number of chicks being placed for growout continues slightly lower than in 2011. From November 10 to December 8, chick placements averaged 155 million, down 0.9 percent from the same period in 2011. Chick placements are expected to remain below year-earlier levels into the first half of 2013 and then to gradually exceed year-earlier levels in the second half of 2013. The timing and speed of this change will largely depend on corn and soybean supplies, according to the USDA report.

For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US turkey eggs down, poults up in November

U.S. turkey eggs in incubators on December 1 totaled 27 million, down 6 percent from December 1, 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report. Eggs in incubators were down 2 percent from the November 1 total of 27.6 million eggs.
Turkey poults hatched during November in the U.S. totaled 23.7 million, up 4 percent from November 2011. Poults hatched were up 2 percent from the October total of 23.3 million poults, according to the USDA. The 23.1 million net poults placed during November were up 5 percent from the number placed during the same month in 2011. Net placements were up slightly from the October total of 23.1 million.

For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US broiler eggs placed up 2 percent at end of November

U.S. commercial hatcheries in the 19-state weekly program set 198 million broiler eggs in incubators during the week ending December 1, up 2 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week in 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85 percent. Broiler growers in the program placed 160 million chicks for meat production during the week ending December 1, down 1 percent from the comparable week in 2011. Cumulative placements from January 1 through December 1 were 7.76 billion, down 2 percent from the same period in 2011, according to the USDA.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US shell eggs broken up 5 percent in October

U.S. shell eggs broken totaled 183 million dozen during October, up 5 percent from October in 2011 and 2 percent above the 180 million broken in September, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Of those, 147.2 million pounds were whole eggs, 58.6 million pounds were egg whites and 31.4 million pounds were egg yolks. During calendar year 2012 through October, shell eggs broken totaled 1.768 billion dozen, up 2 percent from the comparable period in 2011. Of that, 1.38 billion pounds were whole eggs, 601.7 million pounds were egg whites and 308.6 million pounds were egg yolks, according to the USDA.

To date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2012 was 2.291 billion pounds, up 2 percent from 2011. For more egg information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US October egg production up 2 percent

U.S. egg production totaled 7.9 billion during October, up 2 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Production included 6.88 billion table eggs, and 1.02 billion hatching eggs, of which 952 million were broiler-type and 69 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during October averaged 340 million, up 1 percent from 2011. October egg production per 100 layers was 2,321 eggs, up slightly from October 2011.
All layers in the U.S. on November 1 totaled 342 million, up 2 percent from 2011 numbers. The 342 million layers consisted of 291 million layers producing table- or market-type eggs, 49.1 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs and 2.82 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on November 1, averaged 75.4 eggs per 100 layers, up 1 percent from November 1, 2011, according to the USDA report.
Egg-type chicks hatched during October totaled 39.1 million, up 4 percent from October 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 35 million on November 1, down 7 percent from 2011 numbers. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 196,000 during October, down 26 percent from October 2011.
Broiler-type chicks hatched during October totaled 727 million, up 2 percent from October 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 569 million on November 1, down 1 percent from 2011, according to the USDA. Leading breeders placed 6.22 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during October, down 1 percent from October 2011.

For more information and statistics on U.S. egg production, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US broiler stocks down in third quarter 2012

With lower broiler meat production in the third quarter of 2012 and continued strong exports, cold storage holdings of broiler products at the end of the third quarter of 2012 totaled 624 million pounds, down 2 percent from 2011 numbers but up 18 million pounds from the end of second-quarter 2012, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Cold storage holdings of many broilers parts was significantly different from 2011, with some moving sharply lower while a few had strong gains. The cold storage holdings of whole birds, breast meat (down 31 percent), thighs (down 23 percent) and thigh meat (down 28 percent) all declined sharply from 2011 numbers. Partially offsetting these declines were increases in the holdings for legs (up 39 percent) and wings (up 32 percent), according to the USDA. Stocks of broiler meat products are expected to decline to 600 million pounds by the end of 2012 and in 2013 are expected to be roughly similar to their 2012 levels throughout the year.
The impacts of somewhat lower overall broiler production and falling stocks of whole birds and breast meat were seen in higher prices for these products. In October, prices for whole birds were just over $0.84 per pound, 14 percent higher than in 2011. Weekly prices in early November have moved even higher, to around $0.89 per pound. Prices for breast meat products were all stronger in October compared with 2011. Prices in the Northeast market for boneless/skinless breast meat averaged $1.31 per pound, up over 8 percent from October 2011. Prices for breast meat with ribs and line run breast meat were both over 23 percent higher than 2011 numbers, according to the USDA.
Leg quarter prices at $0.52 per pound were down slightly from 2011, but a strong export market has led to relatively steady leg quarter prices so far in 2012. Monthly leg quarter prices in 2012 have remained between $0.49 and $0.53 per pound.

For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.

US broiler production forecast up for fourth quarter 2012

U.S. broiler meat production is forecast at 9.05 billion pounds for the fourth quarter of 2012, 2 percent higher than 2011 numbers and slightly above previous estimates, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The fourth-quarter production increase is expected to be driven by a higher number of birds slaughtered, since average live weights are not expected to be much different from 2011. Over the last several weeks, preliminary data have shown a higher overall number of broilers slaughtered. The estimate for production in first-quarter 2013 was also increased, by 30 million pounds to 9 billion pounds, but is still 1 percent lower than in first-quarter 2012.
Broiler meat production in the third quarter of 2012 was 9.37 billion pounds, down 2 percent from the same period in 2011. The decrease was the result of a 1.9-percent decline in the number of birds slaughtered, to 2.15 billion, according to the USDA. This was slightly offset by a fractional increase of 0.1 percent in the average live weight at slaughter to 5.82 pounds, compared with the third quarter 2011.
Broiler meat production in 2013 is forecast at 36.4 billion pounds, a decrease of 1 percent from 2012, but a slight increase from October's forecast. In 2013, the decline in broiler meat production is expected to come mainly from fewer birds being slaughtered, as the birds’ weights are expected to be close to or slightly higher than in 2012. Broiler integrators are expected to have a slight contraction in production due to the combination of continued high prices for corn and soybean meal and expected relatively modest growth in broiler prices.
The most recent weekly broiler hatchery report indicates a strong divide between the number of chicks recently placed for growout and the level of chicks that may be available through the end of 2012. Over the last five weeks (October 6 through November 3), the number of chicks placed for growout averaged 154.4 million, 2 percent higher than in the same period in 2011. Over the last several months this five-week moving average has changed from being significantly lower than in 2011 to becoming higher. However, according to the USDA, recent changes in the number of eggs placed in incubators point to a future trend of chick placements being lower than year-earlier levels. Over the last five weeks, the number of eggs placed in incubators was 1 percent below the same period in 2011.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US turkey poults up in October

U.S. turkey poults hatched during October totaled 23.3 million, up 4 percent from October 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Poults hatched were also up 9 percent from the September 2012 total of 21.4 million poults. The 22.7 million net poults placed during October were up 6 percent from the number placed during the same month in 2011, according to the report. Net placements were up 9 percent from the September total of 20.8 million.
Turkey eggs in incubators on November 1 in the U.S. totaled 27.3 million, down 1 percent from November 1, 2011. Eggs in incubators were up 1 percent from the October 1 total of 27.0 million eggs, according to the USDA.
For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US poultry exports set record through third quarter 2012

U.S. poultry exports through the third quarter of 2012 set a new year-on-year record in value, while export quantity was slightly less than the record set in 2008, according to trade data released by the Foreign Agricultural Service.
U.S. poultry meat exports for January through September reached 3.04 million metric tons valued at $4.032 billion, up 6.3 percent and 13.8 percent year on year, respectively, from the same period in 2011. Exports of broiler meat (excluding chicken paws) for September were 279,279 metric tons, down 3.3 percent from the same month in 2011, while export value reached $355.1 million, up 4.2 percent, according to the Foreign Agricultural Service report. The decline in broiler shipments in September 2012 is largely because of decreased shipments to Hong Kong, Russia and Angola. Increased shipments to other markets, however, including Mexico, Canada, Kazakhstan, Georgia, Taiwan and the Philippines, helped to bolster the total.
Cumulative broiler meat (excluding paws) exports through the third quarter of 2012 were 2.45 million metric tons valued at $3.087 billion, up 5.9 percent and 17.8 percent, respectively, from the same period in 2011, according to the report. Both export quantity and export value set year-on-year records. Shipments to Mexico for the period rose by 20.5 percent to 408,978 metric tons, while exports to Russia increased by 59.4 percent to 206,923 metric tons. Shipments to Canada were 127,790 metric tons, up 22.8 percent, while exports to Angola reached 123,135 metric tons, up 2.8 percent year on year.
Exports to other important markets were Cuba, 112,122 metric tons, up 81.8 percent from the same period in 2011r; Iraq (including transshipments via Turkey) 99,005 metric tons, up 0.2 percent; Taiwan, 98,669 metric tons, up 26.2 percent; Hong Kong, 85,245 metric tons, down 54.2 percent; Kazakhstan, 74,095 metric tons, up almost four-fold; and China, 65,279 metric tons, up 42.5 percent.
Total broiler meat (including paws) exports for January through September reached 2.72 million metric tons valued at $3.437 billion, up 5.9 percent and 14.4 percent from the same period in 2011, respectively. Export value set a new record, while export quantity was second-highest on record. Of the total shipments, 42.7 percent or 1.17 million metric tons were shipped to the top five markets — Mexico, Hong Kong, Russia, China and Canada.
For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US broiler eggs, chicks up slightly at end of October

Commercial hatcheries in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's 19-state weekly program set 186 million eggs in incubators during the week ending October 27, up 1 percent from the eggs set the corresponding week in 2011.
Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas were the top three states in the program, setting 30.17 million, 25.76 million and 20.12 million eggs, respectively. Average hatchability for chicks hatched during the week was 85 percent.
Broiler growers in the program placed 157 million chicks for meat production during the week ending October 27, up 2 percent from the comparable week in 2011, according to the USDA. Georgia, Alabama and Arkansas took the top three spots, with 26.58 million, 19.38 million and 19.26 million chicks placed during the week. Cumulative placements from January 1 through October 27 were 6.99 billion, down 2 percent from the same period in 2011.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US shell eggs broken in September up from 2011

U.S. shell eggs broken totaled 180 million dozen during September, up 2 percent from the same time in 2011 but 8 percent below the 196 million broken in August 2012, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
Of those broken, 143.86 million pounds were whole eggs, 59.275 million pounds were egg whites and 30.606 million pounds were egg yolks. During the calendar year 2012 through September, shell eggs broken totaled 1.585 billion dozen, up 1 percent from the comparable period in 2011. Of that 1.233 billion pounds were whole eggs, 543.168 million pounds were egg whites and 277.161 million pounds were egg yolks. To date, cumulative total edible product from eggs broken in 2012 is 2.054 billion pounds, up 1 percent from 2011, according to the USDA.
For more information and statistics on U.S. eggs and egg products, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US poultry certified wholesome down during September

U.S. poultry certified wholesome during September (ready-to-cook weight) totaled 3.43 billion pounds, down 7 percent from the amount certified in September 2011, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
The August revised certified total, at 3.91 billion pounds, was up slightly from August 2011. The August revision represented an increase of 1.79 million pounds from September's preliminary pounds certified. The preliminary total live weight of all federally inspected poultry during September was 4.55 billion pounds, down 8 percent from 4.92 billion pounds in 2011.
Young chickens inspected totaled 3.9 billion pounds, down 8 percent from September 2011 numbers. Mature chickens, at 69.1 million pounds, were down 6 percent from 2011. Turkey inspections totaled 567 million pounds, down 5 percent, while ducks totaled 12.1 million pounds, down 12 percent, according to the USDA.
Young chickens slaughtered during September averaged 5.88 pounds per bird, up slightly from September 2011. The average live weight of mature chickens was 5.89 pounds per bird, up 2 percent from 2011 numbers. Turkeys slaughtered during September averaged 29.3 pounds per bird, up 1 percent from September 2011.
For more U.S. poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US egg production up slightly in September

U.S. egg production totaled 7.55 billion during September, up 1 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report.
Production included 6.57 billion table eggs, and 987 million hatching eggs, of which 919 million were broiler-type and 68 million were egg-type. The total number of layers during September averaged 337 million, up 1 percent from 2011. September egg production per 100 layers was 2,241 eggs, up slightly from September 2011, according to the USDA.
All layers in the U.S. on October 1 totaled 338 million, up 1 percent from 2011 numbers. The 338 million layers consisted of 285 million layers producing table- or market-type eggs, 49.3 million layers producing broiler-type hatching eggs, and 2.96 million layers producing egg-type hatching eggs. Rate of lay per day on October 1 averaged 74.3 eggs per 100 layers, down 1 percent from October 1, 2011.
Egg-type chicks hatched during September totaled 37.5 million, down 6 percent from September 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 37.2 million on October 1, up 1 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the USDA report. Domestic placements of egg-type pullet chicks for future hatchery supply flocks by leading breeders totaled 206,000 during September, down 18 percent from September 2011.
Broiler-type chicks hatched totaled 718 million, down slightly from September 2011. Eggs in incubators totaled 581 million on October 1, up 2 percent from 2011 numbers. Leading breeders placed 6.68 million broiler-type pullet chicks for future domestic hatchery supply flocks during September 2012, up slightly from September 2011.
For more egg and poultry information and statistics, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US broiler trade down, turkey trade up in August

In August 2011, U.S. broiler shipments totaled 693.3 million pounds, the largest shipments on record, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
August 2012 broiler shipments totaled 648 million pounds, a 6.5-percent decrease from 2011. The decline in broiler shipments is attributed to weak sales in broiler markets like Angola, Hong Kong and Georgia, which were particularly strong in August 2011. These three countries accounted for 24 percent of total U.S. broiler exports in August 2011 and slightly less than 10 percent in August 2012.
Shipments to Mexico, Cuba, Canada and Taiwan rose in August. Shipments to Mexico reached an all-time high at 114.7 million pounds, while imports of U.S. broilers by Cuba, Canada and Taiwan increased 54, 33 and 77 percent, respectively. These increases, however, were not enough to offset the reduction in U.S. broiler meat exported to other major destinations, according to the USDA.
U.S. turkey shipments in August set a new record at 77.6 million pounds, up 26 percent from August 2011 and 8 percent higher than the previous record of 71.8 million pounds shipped in October 2008. A total of 77.2 million pounds of turkey meat were exported. Mexico and China are the largest turkey markets, and accounted for 65 percent of all turkey meat exported by the U.S. in August 2012. Canada, Taiwan and the Philippines were also leading importers; shipments to the Philippines and Taiwan increased over 400 percent from 2011 numbers, while exports to Canada rose 62 percent.
For more information and statistics on U.S. poultry, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html. 

US egg exports down slightly in August

Total U.S. egg exports (shell eggs and egg products) were the equivalent of 23.9 million dozen in August, down 1 percent from 2011, according to the latest U.S. Department of Agriculture report.
Most of the decline was due to smaller exports to major markets such as Canada, Hong Kong, South Korea and Japan, but the reduction was also partially offset by higher exports to a number of European countries and Mexico. Egg production in Mexico has been heavily affected by an outbreak of avian influenza in Jalisco, its chief egg producing State. A large number of laying hens were destroyed and available supplies were greatly reduced.
U.S. shipments of shell eggs for consumption to Mexico totaled 760,000 dozen in August, up from only 23,000 dozen in August 2011, according to the USDA. U.S. shell egg exports to Mexico in August also included over 500,000 dozen hatching eggs. Shell egg exports for consumption to Mexico are expected to continue to be well above year-earlier levels for the next several months into 2013, as it will take some time for Mexican producers to rebuild their flocks to previous levels.
For more information and statistics on U.S. eggs, see www.wattagnet.com/marketdata.html.