Overall turkey production in the United States in 2019 and 2020 could end up being higher than earlier expected, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report, issued on November 8.
The report, which is issued monthly, stated that because U.S. turkey production was higher than expected during the third quarter of 2019, the annual turkey production figures are projected higher than they were in the October WASDE report.
The October report projected 2019 U.S. turkey production would be around 5.85 billion pounds, but the latest WASDE report projected about 5.9 billion pounds would be produced in 2019. About 5.88 billion pounds were produced in 2018, according to the report.
The latest report also reflected an anticipated increase in U.S. turkey production during 2020. The October WASDE report projected 5.91 billion pounds of U.S. turkey would be produced, but the November report adjusted its forecast up to 5.925 billion pounds.
Other recent turkey trends
In September, in the USDA’s Turkeys Raised report, turkey production was expected to increase in Indiana, Arkansas, West Virginia, South Dakota and Michigan in 2019. That same report indicated that production was expected to decline in Minnesota, Virginia, California, Iowa, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Production was expected to remain the same in North Carolina and Missouri.
Cargill, the third largest turkey company in the United States, confirmed in September that it planned to end whole turkey production at its facility in Waco, Texas, but that it would continue to utilized the cooked meats portion of the plant.
Zacky Farms, previously the 18th largest turkey company in the United States, went out of business, while Hain Celestial exited the turkey industry earlier in 2019, selling its Plainville Farms turkey business to a group of investors calling itself Plainville Brands LLC. Foster Farms, in October, completed the acquisition of 19 poultry ranches that were part of the Zacky Farms supply chain. In a statement, Foster Farms said the newly acquired farms “will allow Foster Farms to meet growing demand for the company’s California-grown, antibiotic-free, certified organic and free-range fresh chicken and turkey products.
