United States-Beef production.

UNITED STATES-BEEF PRODUCTION.Although beef output is now expected to be slightly higher in 2009 than earlier predicted, lower-than-expected pork and poultry production will more than offset those gains, bringing down the forecast for total meat production this year, according to USDA’s latest World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report.

Heavier steer and heifer weight and aggressive cow slaughter will boost beef production to 26.44 billion pounds from 26.37 pounds forecast in March, the report said.

Diminished hog slaughter and a drop in the number of sows farrowing in the first half of the year will rein in pork production this year to 22.77 billion pounds from 23.01 billion predicted last month.

Continued reductions in eggs set have pulled down broiler production forecasts for the year to 35.5 billion pounds from 35.8 billion pounds last month. Turkey production is also forecast lower.

The cattle price forecast, meanwhile, is unchanged from last month, in a range of $84 to $89 per hundredweight. Forecast hog prices are boosted at the lower end by $1 per hundredweight, to a range of $46 to $48 per hundredweight.

Dropping broiler production hasn’t boosted price forecasts, though: they dropped to between 79 cents and 83 cents per pound from a range of 81 cents to 86 cents per pound.