Pork Commentary

Jim Long President – CEO Genesus Inc. info@genesus.com


US Meats Supply & Use

 July 13, 2015


  Last Friday the USDA released their July Meats and Supply Use.
Million Pounds   Total Use PER CAPITA lbs.
BEEF 2014 ACTUAL 24,686 54.2
2015 PROJECTED 24,960 54.4
PORK 2014 ACTUAL 19,069 46.4
2015 PROJECTED 20,666 49.9
RED MEAT TOTAL 2014 ACTUAL 44,192 101.9
2015 PROJECTED 46,056 105.5
As you can see Pork and Beef production is to be up about 3.6 pounds per capita year over year. What is interesting is Beef at 54.2 pounds per capita has current beef cut – outs of $2.36 a pound. While pork at 49.9 pounds per capita has cut – outs of 81₵ per pound. Obviously if the pork industry is going to get higher prices for its product it needs to find ways to emulate the taste and flavour of beef. We cannot ignore that wholesale beef is three times the value of pork. The USDA expects pork exports to be 5.065 billion pounds in 2015. They estimate pork total disappearance to be up 1.5 billion pounds or the equivalency of 7 million hogs. If exports can increase, which we believe will happen with China stepping into the market it will help pull hog prices higher.

Sexing Technologies Acquires Fast Genetics

When we first learned the name Sexing Technologies we thought it was part of an elaborate joke. Now to our surprise Sexing Technologies is joining the sexy field of swine genetics companies with the announced agreement last week it had purchased Fast Genetics from HyLife in Canada who’s a major shareholder was the very large Itochu Company of Japan. Itochu which has continually increased its shareholding in HyLife (production- slaughter plant) is divesting a small piece of their investment portfolio. Big companies either want to be a major player or get out. Itochu wisely has sold a regional player in the swine genetic industry. Sexing Technologies which has been a major player in bovine semen sexing evolution has by purchasing Fast made a move to have a platform to introduce their technology to swine. The new CEO of Fast Genetics is a former executive at PIC. We expect they will try to raid PIC’s sales and technology group. Currently Sexing Technologies is embroiled in lawsuits with former customers, a major lawsuit with ABS – a major bovine A.I. supplier which like PIC is owned by Genus. It is so juicy the drama! You sue, I sue, and we buy swine genetic company and compete. Link to lawsuit Sex sorting technology in our mind will not be a game changer in the swine genetic field. Unlike cattle where in the dairy industry there is a huge value in having the one calf a year be a heifer. The swine industry has a litter. There are more than enough gilts in a litter and a farm to have thousands of females available for breeding stock a year. We do not see any significant economic advantage to have more gilts than barrows (boars). What will the cost be of sex sorting technology versus the benefit? We expect the game is to package Fast – Sexing Technologies into a technology package of to sell to non Ag shareholders. The story could sound good but what is the reality of value. We wonder if Sexing Technologies will be like Monsanto, when they were in the swine genetics business trying to patent swine genetic processes. We disagree that live beings of any kind should or could be patented. Monsanto failed, sold out to Choice Genetics and left the business, while Choice subsequently went to Chapter 11 bankruptcy. When we read about the lawsuits that Sexing Technologies have had in the cattle industry, it will be wise for anyone who purchases Fast and Sexing Technologies to read the fine print of a contract. Exciting times in the swine genetic business – let the battle continue. This coming week we will be speaking at the National Pork Industry Conference in Wisconsin Dells. We will report our observations of the three day event in next week’s commentary.

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This post was written by Genesus