Average kill already 4.4% up on last year

During the four-week period ended February 17, 2007, Federally Inspected Slaughter showed an average weekly kill of 631,000 up from the 611,750 of our last report. This compares with an average of 583,500 in covering the same period the previous year and represents a 4.4% increase over 2006.   Going into the Lunar New Year holidays, business was expected to dip. However, trading did continue albeit at a lower level and with some price erosion evident.   The USDA have published their cattle inventories for January 1 showing a combined US and Canadian total of 11.3 million head. Of this, the US total was 97 million, slightly up on the 96.7 million a year earlier. The Canadian inventory was down 3% from a year ago and 5% from the year before.   Export figures over the four-week period to February 8 showed a huge drop in export sales of raw hides. China still maintained pole position with a healthy 626,500 (640,900) down from the high of 1,062,100 six months earlier.   Hong Kong was in seventh place with a mere 32,700 (50,200) giving them a combined total with China of 659,200 (691,100).   In second place, Korea took 350,300 (234,200; 622,700; 92,500; 380,600 and 301,800 respectively) and Taiwan came third with 152,900 (93,900; 208,000; 111,600; 148,700 and 177,800).   Japan purchased 107,600 (77,900; 58,600; 159,000; 74,500 and 100,900) followed by Mexico with 1,000,000 (99,100; 1,298,800; 1,267,400).   Exports to Thailand amounted to 80,900 (43,600; 62,700; 86,699; 39,800 and 39,300) while those to Vietnam came in at 28,400 (13,900; 16,400; 18,400, 17,300 and 20,500).   Spain bought 13,900 (3,100); Canada 12,700, Italy 7,100 (2,700; 38,800; 15,900; 35,200 and 35,400); Indonesia 5,800 and Türkiye 1,100.   Japan also purchased 5,900 kip (3,100 calf and kip; 6,000 kip); China 1,500 (3,600 kip); and Italy 900 kip.   When it came to wet-blues, Italy took first place with 310,300 (38,200; 225,600; 68,000), pushing China into second slot with 188,000 (173,900; 123,800). Hong Kong ranked fourth with 73,700 (44,800; 76,20), giving a combined total of 261,700 (224,000).   Mexico, in third place, contracted for 93,100 (27,100; 34,000; 26,500). The Dominican Republic bought 35,700 (37,100; 4,600; 19,700) and Thailand 32,100.   Indonesia took 20,800 (19,100); Korea 22,500 (15,200); Taiwan 19,700 (72,000); Canada and Germany both purchased 4,000. In the previous review Germany took 7,600 and Canada 800.   India purchased a modest 2,000 followed by Japan with 1,400.   Italy was the biggest buyer of wet-blue splits taking 3,543,400lb. Hong Kong came second with 790,000lb (608,700lb) and China third giving a combined total of 4,333,400lb (740,700lb). Mexico purchased 183,500lb and Korea 43,900lb.