US: Broiler Market Outlook Week 50, December 16, 2024

Average prices for chicken cuts showed mixed dynamics: prices for drumsticks and wings increased, while other items became cheaper.

The Iowa Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have announced an outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in a commercial turkey flock in Sac County. This is the seventh detection of HPAI in poultry in Iowa this year and the fourth in less than a week.

The U.S. poultry industry could soon face significant disruptions due to potential changes in immigration policy, particularly those aimed at tightening immigration enforcement or increasing deportations. Such policy changes would likely have significant implications for both the industry’s labor supply and its consumer base.

The poultry sector relies heavily on immigrant labor, with many workers undocumented in critical positions at processing plants and farms. A crackdown on immigration could lead to widespread labor shortages, hampering production and driving up costs. To attract domestic workers to these positions, employers may have to offer higher wages and improved benefits, which could increase operating costs and subsequently drive up poultry prices across the supply chain.  

 Dynamics of prices and sales volumes of broilers

Average weighted price of broilers by region

Region

Average weighted price, cents/lb

Sales volume (thousand pounds)

Week 49

Week 50

Growth per week,%

Week 49

Week 50

Growth per week,%

Oriental

127.22

129.30

1.6%

5 017

4 928

-1.8%

Central

120.37

121.99

1.3%

2 173

2 177

0.2%

West

143.02

145.04

1.4%

2 805

3 015

7.5%

Dynamics of prices for chicken cuttings

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