Still slow after the summer

federally inspected slaughter is still running at 2.1% below last year. For the four-week period ending October 29, the average weekly kill was 623,000 head, compared with 637,000 for the same period last year. Cattle Buyers Weekly recently published their annual report. According to this the top five meat packers in the USA were responsible for processing 92.9% of all steers and heifers, up from 89.4% in 2003. Overall capacity at the 30 biggest packers in the country was 133,989 head/day, down 0.6% from a year ago. Cattle Buyers Weekly say the top five are Cargill with 26% of total commercial slaughter; Tyson with 25.6%; Swift 15.3%; National Beef 9.5%; and Smithfield 6.1%. For more information about Cattle Buyers Weekly visit [http://www.cattlebuyersweekly.com] At the time of going to press Tyson's Lakeside slaughterhouse, in Alberta, Canada, was still experiencing strike action but had managed to continue some processing with the aid of 1,100 workers and management. The Alberta Labor Relations Board was scheduled to hold a second meeting on November 3 when Tyson were due to ask union workers to vote on a modified contract offer. The plant has been on strike since October 12. Japan is still delaying making any decision about their ban on US beef imports. Despite a panel which was formed to consider the matter giving as their preliminary opinion that US beef products were of only low risk, nothing has so far been resolved. And despite the low risk assessment, the panel also issued a warning that any conditions attached to the eventual recommencement of trade would mean an instant ban if they were not fully complied with. On a more positive note, Thailand, who also banned American beef in December 2003, have now lifted their ban and there are indications that Hong Kong and South Korea may follow suit. Exports of raw hides in the four-week period to October 20 once again confirmed China in first place with 660,300, followed yet again by Korea with 427,200. Taiwan was in third place with 162,700, then Mexico with 126,700 and Hong Kong with 121,200. This gave China and Hong Kong a combined total of 781,500. Japan was again in sixth place with 72,600 followed by Thailand with 29,100, Italy with 24,600 and the Dominican Republic 22,500. Canada took 19,800, Vietnam 8,100, Costa Rica 5,800, and Argentina 1,700. At the same time Thailand took 34,200 calf and kip, Italy 17,200 calf and kip; Japan 13,100 kip; Hong Kong 5,400 calf and Mexico 1,800 kip. When it came to wet-blues, Hong Kong was in first place with 88,300 followed by Italy with 62,200. Mexico came third with 46,800, then China with 36,900 giving China and Hong Kong a combined total of 125,200. The Dominican Republic was in fifth place with 23,900 followed by Taiwan with 15,200, Korea with 11,000, Japan 5,900, Spain 2,200, Indonesia 2,100, India 2,000 and Canada 1,400. During the period under review Hong Kong contracted for 2,767,200lb of wet-blue splits and China 696,400lb making a joint total of 3,463,600lb. Another big buyer was Italy with 1,201,400lb with sizeable quantities also being purchased by Mexico 306,400lb and Taiwan 200,000lb.