The March WASDE projected broiler production to increase based on recent hatchery data. So far, broiler chicks placed through 18 March are 101 percent of last year at 2.05 billion. But there are still hatchability issues plaguing the sector, which encumber the potential number of chick placements. For the week ending 18 March, the hatchability rate – the number of chicks hatched divided by the number of eggs set – was 79.2 percent, still lagging a more normal rate. Hatchability has been an issue for the past couple of years. Things looked promising early in 2023, but hatchability has trended back down.
Looking at the longer term, chicks placed as a percent of eggs set is 79.7 percent so far in 2023, that is below the...
Key Market Insights The broad market is locked in on this week’s Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing, but this is no longer just a trade summit. Increasingly, the meeting is becoming tied directly to Iran, energy security, and the growing global economic fallout from disruptions through the Strai...
