Also see, White Meat or Dark, What’s the Difference?
Turkey by the Numbers
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Recent crisp fall weather conjures thoughts of cranberries, pumpkin pie, and Grandma’s dressing – not to mention the star of the holiday table – turkey with all the trimmings.
Some of those turkeys may have been raised in Kansas, typically under contract to large processing companies with plants in other states. Despite its close proximity to some major processors and a rich history as a grain producer, however, Kansas is not a major turkey producer, said Scott Beyer, animal scientist with Kansas State University Research and Extension.
“From what producers and prospective producers tell me, the tax environment they have to work in makes it difficult for growers who produce animals under contract,” Beyer said. “It's possible that some revision to the tax structure could benefit our rural areas by creating a more hospitable business environment for them. States immediately around us – Oklahoma, Nebraska and Missouri – are major poultry producing states, with lots of jobs associated with the industry.”
The 2007 Census of Agriculture reported that 1,184,840 turkeys were sold from 83 farms in Kansas. The census is conducted every five years.
Although no official count is kept on the number of turkeys produced in Kansas year-to-year, Beyer, who has guided K-State poultry judging teams to national championships, estimates that about 1.3 million turkeys a year typically are produced in Kansas. That compares with U.S. Department of Agriculture data from 2008 which put Minnesota as the No. 1 producer at 48 million turkeys and North Carolina No. 2 at 40 million. Kansas’ neighbor Missouri ranked fourth at 18 million turkeys and Iowa was No. 10 with 9 million.
Frank Reese of Good Shepherd Poultry Ranch near Lindsborg, Kan., said that the biggest obstacle for his business is the lack of a large-scale, federally-inspected independent turkey processor in Kansas. The producer, who has built an international reputation for producing heritage, or standard bred breeds, ships his turkeys to Harrison, Ohio for processing.
The long-time producer, who has raised turkeys the old-fashioned way for more than 50 years, out on pastures rather than in confinement buildings, said that 50 to 60 years ago Kansas was a prominent turkey-producing state. That was when every town had its own butcher and several farmers – mostly women – had laying hens.
“Kansas was No. 1 in dried egg production,” said Reese, adding that dried eggs were an important staple in American homes at one time.
“After World War II the industry started changing,” Reese said, adding that most turkeys now are a far cry from the old-time breeds that he believes have a superior taste and are genetically hardier. “Most turkeys today have been bred to produce more white meat and to more quickly grow to market weight than did turkeys raised in the 1950s and before. With those changes in most modern-day breeds, turkeys cannot breed naturally and must be artificially inseminated,” he said.
Heritage breed turkeys mate naturally, he said, and because they take 24 to 28 weeks to reach market weight -- twice as long as those grown in confinement, they are “pricier.”
A Sept. 17, 2009 U.S. Department of Agriculture report estimated that in July, U.S. turkey production was down 11 percent at 486 million pounds, compared with a year earlier.
Beyer noted that like other meat producers, turkey producers have been caught between high production costs and somewhat decreased consumption because of the economic downturn.
“Feed and diesel costs were huge problems last year,” Beyer said. “Everyone was cutting back. Then came reductions in restaurant orders as meals eaten out went down. Turkey is big in the deli, so I imagine that hurt as well.”
“Turkey consumption has been very stable in the U.S. at about 18 pounds per person annually,” he said, adding that even with a recession-related softening of demand, he does not expect much change to that 18-pound-per-capita figure when the final data comes in for 2009.
Beyer said that in the past year, corn prices rose fast and turkey prices could not keep pace.
“Had all this happened over the long haul instead of just weeks, the markets would have adjusted,” he said. “There is no doubt many growers lost their livelihood as a consequence of the rush to tie the corn price to ethanol.”
Because of the economic squeeze, many mid-sized producers shuttered their doors last year and others cut back on production, he said. For that reason, Beyer said he wouldn’t be surprised to see fewer turkeys in supermarket coolers and freezers this year, coupled with higher prices.
Reese, who sells chicks to about 15 other growers in Kansas and contracts with them to buy them back at maturity, said Good Shepherd Farm has weathered the economic downturn well so far. The company, which has been featured in USA Today and the Kansas City Star among others, sells directly to consumers through its Web site, but also to restaurants and grocery stores.
He believes that because of labor costs, most poultry will eventually be raised and processed outside the United States, but still controlled by U.S. companies. The meat will then be brought back into the U.S. to supply consumer needs.
But Reese, who is a fourth generation Kansas farmer, plans for his heritage breeds -- the Standard Bronze, Narragansett, Bourbon Red, White Holland and Black Turkey -- to continue to be raised in Kansas.
“Our mission is all about preserving genetic diversity,” he said. “We want shoppers to have the choice between a heritage turkey, the traditional taste of the past, and a commercial turkey.”
When asked what trends he expects in coming years, Beyer said he believes that the turkey business will need to find ways to increase consumption and develop more export business.
“New products are needed - that's what pulls any agriculture product up in the market place,” Beyer said.
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Sidebar:
Holiday Season 2009:
White Meat or Dark, What’s the Difference?
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Turkey lovers typically fall into one of two camps: some favor white meat and others prefer dark meat. But how are they different, other than the color of the meat?
According to the National Turkey Federation, a 15-pound turkey generally has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
The two types of meat differ nutritionally. The white meat has fewer calories and less fat than the dark meat.
The rich flavor of dark meat is often used in soup and stew recipes. Dark meat also holds up well in rich marinades and for grilling and barbecuing.
- Source: National Turkey Federation
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Sidebar:
Holiday Season 2009:
Turkey by the Numbers
MANHATTAN, Kan. – The holiday season, 2009, comes against an economic backdrop the likes of which haven’t been seen in decades. And U.S. turkey growers have not been immune from higher costs and somewhat weaker sales.
Turkey producers have responded by cutting back production, or in some cases, closing their doors, said K-State Research and Extension poultry specialist Scott Beyer.
Following are recent U.S. Department of Agriculture turkey statistics as of July 2009 (released in September 2009) unless otherwise noted.
* U.S. turkey consumption per capita in 2008 was 17.6 pounds.
* U.S. turkey meat production in July was 486 million pounds, down 11 percent from July 2008. The decrease was attributed to a lower number of turkeys slaughtered, as average weights were actually up slightly.
* In July, the number of turkeys slaughtered was 21.5 million, a decrease of 11.2 percent from the previous year.
* The average live weight at slaughter was 28.4 pounds, marginally higher than the previous year.
* U.S. turkey production has increased nearly 300 percent since 1970 – National Turkey Federation.
* Including the value added to turkey through processing into a variety of cuts, parts and further processed products, the total value of U.S. turkey processors’ production in 2007 was more than $13.9 billion – National Turkey Federation.
* Over the first seven months of 2009, U.S. turkey meat production totaled 3.29 billion pounds, a 9.7-percent reduction from the same period in 2008. Forecasts for the third and fourth quarters of 2009 were 1.44 billion and 1.5 billion pounds. The forecast for the third quarter was down 8.2 percent from a year earlier, and expected production in the fourth quarter is down 5.2 percent. The estimate for 2009 production is 5.75 billion pounds, down 8 percent from 2008, due to reductions in the number of poults hatched, a result of the high feed and energy costs in the third and fourth quarters of 2008.
* Even with large decreases in turkey meat production over the first seven months of 2009, cold storage holdings have risen for whole birds. At the end of July, cold storage holdings of whole turkeys were 349 million pounds, up 20 percent from the previous year. The increase in whole-bird cold storage holding is a result of fewer birds being cut up for parts as demand in both the export and domestic market has slowed. The decline in demand for turkey parts has not resulted in higher cold storage holdings for turkey parts. At the end of July, holdings of turkey parts totaled 291 million pounds, down 12 percent from a year earlier and 24 percent lower than at the end of July 2007.
* Total cold storage holdings were expected to expand to 635 million pounds by the end of the third quarter, up 2 percent from a year earlier. By the end of 2009, cold storage stocks of whole turkeys and turkey parts were forecast at 375 million pounds, down 5 percent from the end of 2008. This change in stocks compared with 2008 is due to both continued lower turkey production, which is expected to lower supplies, and the rapid buildup of stocks that occurred at the end of 2008 due to declining economic conditions.
* The accumulation of cold storage holdings of whole turkeys placed downward pressure on whole-bird prices. In August the wholesale price for whole hen turkeys in the Eastern market was 81 cents per pound, down 16 percent from August 2008 and down 2 percent from a month earlier. Normally, whole turkey prices strengthen through the summer months and peak for the year in late October or early November in anticipation of the Thanksgiving holiday. Third-quarter 2009 prices for whole hens are forecast to average 83-84 cents per pound, down about 14 percent from third-quarter 2008. Prices in the fourth quarter are forecast to average 83-87 cents per pound.
Source: Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook, USDA and National Turkey Federation
Also see Holiday Season 2009: ‘Tis the Season to Trim Costs, Not Joy
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