USA: Week 23 Broiler Market Review 2023

Average prices for chicken cutting showed negative dynamics against the backdrop of lower prices for drumsticks, legs and MMO mince.

The positive news in the industry is that egg supplies have rebounded after the deadliest bird flu outbreak in US history pushed prices above $4 per dozen eggs in January. Now some supermarket chains have started selling eggs at a discount for the first time in more than a year , according to the Wall Street Journal.

Egg prices surged in 2022, with costs rising over 30%, leading consumers to cut back on the product. The price increase was attributed to bird flu, which has killed about 59 million birds since February 2022 and reduced U.S. egg stocks by 29% by the end of the year. The USDA said the number of new cases of avian flu has dropped significantly in recent months and the laying hen population has recovered. The average retail price of eggs was $2.70 a dozen at the end of April, compared to a five-year high of over $4 in January. Despite the recovery, the rapid fall in prices has weighed on farmers' profits and the egg market remains vulnerable to a potential resurgence of avian influenza.

Price dynamics and sales volumes of broilers

Average weighted price for broilers by region

Region

Weighted average price, cents/pound

Sales volume (thousand pounds)

Week 22

Week 23

Growth per week,%

Week 22

Week 23

Growth per week,%

Oriental

142.84

142.84

0.0%

4 211

4434

5.3%

Central

138.72

138.64

-0.1%

3086

3 114

0.9%

West

147.29

147.49

0.1%

2780

2990

7.6%

Dynamics of prices for chicken cutting

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