Thursday, September 25, 1997

Cattle and calves on feed up sharply over year ago

By J.T. Smith / Abilene Reporter-News

There's plenty of beef on the hoof being fed in Texas feed yards.

Cattle and calves on feed for slaughter in Texas feedlots with a capacity of 1,000 head or more totaled 2.39 million head as of September, up 17 percent from a year earlier.

The Texas Agricultural Statistics Service notes that the number of cattle on feed in September also was up 3 percent from August.

Producers placed 630,000 cattle in commercial feedlots during August, up 24 percent from placements a year earlier and 37 percent higher than the July total this year.

On Sept. 1, there already were 1.92 million cattle and calves on feed in the Northern High Plains, or 80 percent of the state's total.

But the other side of the story is hefty marketings.

Texas commercial feeders marketed 540,000 head during August, up 13 percent from a year earlier.

Burger King exceeded expectations

Burger King announced that it sold nearly 3 million "Big King" hamburgers per day the first week the sandwich was available to the public.

The hamburger chain introduced its new sandwich the first week of September with aims to compete with McDonald's Big Mac. The rollout exceeded Burger King's projections by 70 percent.

Indeed, sales were so strong that some parts of the nation experienced a shortage of Big King sandwiches.

Music to a cattleman's ears.

Keep an eye on Taiwan

Taiwan purchased more than $46.3 million of U.S. beef and beef variety meats during 1996.

Rising pork prices in Taiwan were part of the reason for the boost in beef business. Beef is becoming a popular substitute for pork there.

Taiwan has grown to become the seventh largest market for U.S. beef and beef variety meats.

China market still growing

After unification, China will be the fifth largest market for U.S. beef and beef variety meats.

During 1996, U.S. exports of beef products to Hong Kong and the People's Republic of China totaled nearly $68 million.

The revival of "most-favored-nation" trading status for China will encourage more growth in the beef market there, said Chuck Lambert, chief economist for the National Cattlemen's Beef Association.

But Japan clearly remains No. 1

When it comes to craving U.S. beef, the Japanese are in a class by themselves.

As the single largest export market for beef and beef variety meats, Japan purchased $1.93 billion of the total amount of beef exported in 1996 -- or 63 percent.

No other country is even close to that.

Canada and Mexico together are accountable for 24 percent of U.S. beef exports. Korea, the third largest market, comes in with 8 percent.

It's official -- Texas fiber is cotton

The Texas House of Representatives approved a resolution designating cotton as "the official state fiber and fabric of Texas."

The House recognized cotton as a "mainstay of the Texas economy."

If Texas were an independent country, it would rank sixth among the world's leading cotton-producing nations.

By the way, a bale of cotton will make 800 men's dress and business shirts.

A bale also will produce 350 ladies knit and woven dresses.

Or, you can get 1,200 pillowcases from a bale, or 3,400 men's knee-length socks.