Beef, Veal and Lamb News for 11-19-09

Beef output last week declined 1.3% but was still 2% larger than 2008. Beef demand is reported to be softening due in part to the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Beef packers are expected to slow production over the next week to ten days which could dampen the impact of a seasonal decline in demand. Still, many beef markets may drift modestly lower through the end of the month. September US beef imports were 5.4% less than last year and the smallest for any month since December 2001. Sluggish US beef imports may eventually be bullish for the lean beef trimming markets.