Slaughter still remains ahead of last year

During the four-week period ended June 23, 2007, Federally Inspected Slaughter showed an average weekly kill of 678,750, only slightly up from the 677,000 of our previous report. This compares with an average of 685,750 in the same period the previous year and represents a 1.9% increase over 2006.   Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter at US feedlots with a capacity in excess of 1,000 head totalled 11.3 million as at June 1, 2007. The inventory was 1% above the 2006 figure and 5% above June 1, 2005.   This is the highest June 1 inventory since the series began in 1996. Placements in feedlots during May amounted to 2.16 million, 13% up on 2006 but 3% less than in 2005.   In late June, the US and Japan held talks about Japanese imports of US beef. The US are continuing to push for all age restrictions on beef cattle to be lifted but Japan is still asking for detailed compliance data on its measures to safeguard against BSE. A USDA spokesman told Meatingplace.com that 'Japan requested more detailed information on the compliance status of our feed ban, and also wanted to know our progress to date on sampling and where we are on surveillance.'   US officials have provided their Japanese counterparts with the same data they submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health to achieve a designation as a 'controlled risk' region for the disease. Although the designation ostensibly allows the United States to export product from cattle of any age, Japan continues to refuse US beef from animals older than twenty months.   While no date has been set, further technical talks already are being planned.Also according to Meatingplace.com, inspectors from South Korea made a nine-day tour of US cattle ranches, processing plants and animal feed companies as part of their risk analysis ahead of considering easing restrictions on US beef imports.   China bought 945,400 US raw hides making a combined total with Hong Kong of 1,025,200. Korea came in second with 390,000, followed by Taiwan with 108,200.   Mexico came next with 95,800, followed by Thailand with 86,200, Japan with 73,200 and Vietnam with 36,400.   Italy took 31,500, Türkiye 5,000, Uruguay 3,500, Spain 3,200, Pakistan 1,600 and Sweden 700.   Calf and kip were taken up by China and Hong Kong with a combined total of 23,500, while Japan accounted for 9,300, Holland 8,300, Italy 8,100 and Mexico 2,900.   When it came to wet-blues, China came in first with 125,800. Mexico was in second place with 114,700 and Hong Kong third with 59,900. This gave China and Hong Kong a combined total of 185,700.   Italy was in fourth place with 56,900, followed by the Dominican Republic with 47,400 and Taiwan 20,300. Thailand and Korea took 20,000 a piece with Indonesia taking 5,400 and India 2,000.   Hong Kong and China combined to buy 2,103,600lb of wet-blue splits. Korea bought 360,000lb and Italy 88,000lb.