HDR1012000150010203971500EGG PRODUCTS                                           
Egg                                                                             
Products                                                                        
National                                                                        
Agricultural                                                                    
Statistics                                                                      
Service                                                                         
                                                                                
USDA                                                                            
Washington, D.C.                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
Released February 3, 1997, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service      
(NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board, U.S. Department of Agriculture.  For     
information on "Egg Products" call Tom Kruchten at (202) 690-4870, office hours 
7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET.  For assistance with general agricultural statistics,
information about NASS, its products or services, contact the Agricultural      
Statistics Hotline at 1-800-727-9540 or E-mail:  NASS@NASS.USDA.GOV.            
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                  Shell Eggs Broken Up 13 Percent                               
                                                                                
Shell eggs broken totaled 126 million dozen during December 1996, up            
13 percent from December a year ago.  Regional percentage changes were: North   
Atlantic, up 7; North Central, up 15; South Atlantic, up 31; South Central, up  
14; and Western, down slightly.                                                 
                                                                                
December 1996 contained 22 weekdays (including one holiday) and four Saturdays, 
compared to 21 weekdays (including one holiday) and five Saturdays in December  
1995.                                                                           
                                                                                
Inspected liquid egg products used in processing amounted to 243 million pounds 
during December 1996, up 9 percent from December the previous year.  Ingredients
added in processing totaled 8.05 million pounds, up 8 percent from a year ago.  
                                                                                
Inspected liquid egg production for immediate consumption and processing during 
December totaled 168 million pounds, up 7 percent from the                      
December 1995 production of 157 million pounds.                                 
                                                                                
Inspected frozen egg production during December, at 32.9 million pounds, was    
down slightly from the 33.0 million pounds produced during December 1995.       
                                                                                
Inspected dried egg production during December was 10.9 million pounds, an      
increase of 16 percent from a year ago.                                         
                                                                                
Data presented in this report were compiled from inspection reports of the Food 
Safety and Inspection Service.  The best available data at time of publication  
was used.                                                                       
               Shell Eggs Broken:  Federally Inspected, by Region               
                       and United States, December 1995-96                      
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   :           :         Form in Which Broken         :         
                   :           :--------------------------------------:         
     Month and     :   Eggs    :             Edible Liquid            :Inedible 
      Region       :  Broken   :--------------------------------------: Liquid  
                   :           :  Whole  :  White  :  Yolk   : Total  :         
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                   :1,000 Dozen  ---------------- 1,000 Pounds ---------------- 
 December 1996     :                                                            
   N Atlantic      :   21,585    20,455     5,029     2,461    27,945     1,748 
   N Central       :   81,993    59,135    32,066    16,317   107,518     7,875 
   S Atlantic      :    7,554     4,384     3,214     1,940     9,538       675 
   S Central       :    7,647     5,027     2,449     1,272     8,748       977 
   West            :    7,007     4,600     2,518     1,404     8,522       660 
                   :                                                            
   US              :  125,786    93,601    45,276    23,394   162,271    11,935 
                   :                                                            
 December 1995     :                                                            
   N Atlantic      :   20,108    19,514     4,701     2,153    26,368     1,687 
   N Central       :   71,555    52,006    26,592    13,428    92,026     7,366 
   S Atlantic      :    5,749     4,019     2,169     1,020     7,208       779 
   S Central       :    6,725     4,594     2,624     1,274     8,492       773 
   West            :    7,010     5,124     2,299     1,289     8,712       578 
                   :                                                            
   US              :  111,147    85,257    38,385    19,164   142,806    11,183 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
              Inspected Liquid Eggs:  Usage and Ingredients Added               
               in Processing, United States, December 1995-96 1/                
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Month and     :  Whole  :  Whole  :         :  Yolk   :  Yolk   :         
        Item        :  Plain  :  Blends :  White  :  Plain  :  Blends :  Total  
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                       1,000 Pounds                        
 December 1996      :                                                           
   Liquid Eggs      : 101,862    51,233    59,209    12,326    18,403   243,033 
   Ingredients Added:       0     6,200       112         0     1,733     8,045 
                    :                                                           
 December 1995      :                                                           
   Liquid Eggs      :  94,830    48,305    54,204    12,403    13,879   223,621 
   Ingredients Added:       0     5,918       124         0     1,419     7,461 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
            Inspected Product:  By Form as Distributed in Commerce,             
                     United States, December 1995-96 1/ 2/                      
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
      Month and     :  Whole  :  Whole  :         :  Yolk   : Yolk    :         
        Item        :  Plain  :  Blends :  White  :  Plain  : Blends  :  Total  
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                    :                       1,000 Pounds                        
 December 1996      :                                                           
   Liquid           :                                                           
     For Immediate  :                                                           
      Consumption   :  37,182    31,907    10,412    1,908   10,114      91,523 
     For Processing :  41,896     7,072    18,734    6,533    2,354      76,589 
     Total          :  79,078    38,979    29,146    8,441   12,468     168,112 
                    :                                                           
   Frozen           :  13,017     9,625     5,868      112    4,264      32,886 
                    :                                                           
   Dried            :   2,556     2,383     2,929    1,692    1,356      10,916 
                    :                                                           
 December 1995      :                                                           
   Liquid           :                                                           
     For Immediate  :                                                           
      Consumption   :  30,028    30,615    10,511    1,167    7,253      79,574 
     For Processing :  43,225     6,438    19,276    6,940    1,870      77,749 
     Total          :  73,253    37,053    29,787    8,107    9,123     157,323 
                    :                                                           
   Frozen           :  13,357    11,670     3,243       91    4,658      33,019 
                    :                                                           
   Dried            :   2,120     2,090     2,631    1,916      677       9,434 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1/  Includes reinspections of egg products.                                    
 2/  Includes all non-egg ingredients added.                                    
                                                                                
       Egg Products Inspected:  Shell Eggs Broken and Products Produced,        
                United States, October 1 - December 31, 1995-96                 
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         :                 Period               
                                         :--------------------------------------
                    Item                 :   Oct 1, 1995-    :   Oct 1, 1996-   
                                         :   Dec 31, 1995    :   Dec 31, 1996   
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                         :              1,000 Dozen             
                                         :                                      
 Shell Eggs Broken                       :      350,448             388,434     
                                         :                                      
                                         :              1,000 Pounds            
 Edible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken    :                                      
   Whole                                 :      268,251             290,372     
   White                                 :      120,223             138,677     
   Yolk                                  :       59,933              71,745     
                                         :                                      
   Total                                 :      448,407             500,794     
                                         :                                      
 Inedible Liquid from Shell Eggs Broken  :       35,411              37,210     
                                         :                                      
 During Processing                       :                                      
   Liquid Eggs Inspected 1/              :      686,913             768,364     
   Ingredients Added in Processing       :       22,075              25,950     
                                         :                                      
 Product Produced for Immediate          :                                      
  Consumption and Processing 1/ 2/       :                                      
   Liquid Product Produced               :                                      
     Whole Plain                         :      232,067             262,959     
     Whole Blends                        :      112,012             123,712     
     White                               :       91,636              95,188     
     Yolk Plain                          :       23,296              27,977     
     Yolk Blends                         :       30,403              36,486     
                                         :                                      
     Total                               :      489,414             546,322     
                                         :                                      
   Frozen Product Produced               :                                      
     Whole Plain                         :       42,715              38,914     
     Whole Blends                        :       34,421              31,117     
     White                               :       11,535              13,714     
     Yolk Plain                          :          356                 378     
     Yolk Blends                         :       13,355              12,825     
                                         :                                      
     Total                               :      102,382              96,948     
                                         :                                      
   Dried Product Produced                :                                      
     Whole Plain                         :        5,935               6,986     
     Whole Blends                        :        5,904               7,127     
     White                               :        7,690               9,602     
     Yolk Plain                          :        4,447               4,697     
     Yolk Blends                         :        2,627               4,947     
                                         :                                      
     Total                               :       26,603              33,359     
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 1/  Includes reinspections of egg products.                                    
 2/  Includes all non-egg ingredients added.                                    
Data Sources:  Data for the "Egg Products" report are obtained from Grading     
               Volume Reports (Form PY-240) completed by inspectors of the Egg  
Products Inspection Division, Food Safety and Inspection  Service (FSIS), USDA. 
FSIS is responsible for administering a mandatory inspection program for egg    
products under the authority of the Egg Products Inspection Act of 1970.  The   
Act and its associated Regulations require that all commercial egg breaking and 
processing plants operate under continuous USDA supervision.  Reports are       
currently received from approximately 80 plants.  Plant management provides     
monthly volume data to the resident USDA inspector at the applicable plant.     
                                                                                
Procedures and Reliability:  FSIS reviews plant data for accuracy and           
                             completeness and provides NASS a data file.  NASS  
reviews the data for unusual values.  The egg products estimates are based on a 
census of all commercial egg breaking and processing plants, therefore, there   
are no statistical estimation and sampling errors.                              
                                                                                
Liquid eggs transported from one official plant to another for reprocessing must
be reinspected by the USDA inspector at the receiving plant.  Since the volume  
is reported for each inspection performed, the total liquid eggs inspected may  
exceed the actual total of liquid eggs produced.                                
                                                                                
Data in the "Inspected Product:" table are finished products available for      
distribution in commerce.  The finished egg products (packaged for distribution)
may have been processed in a subsequent reporting period following the period in
which the eggs were reported as broken.  Therefore, the data may not be         
comparable in any given month.                                                  
                                                                                
                                                                                
Regional Listing:                                                               
                                                                                
North Atlantic = CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, VT.                            
North Central  = IA, IL, IN, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, WI.                
South Atlantic = DE, FL, GA, MD, NC, PR, SC, VA, WV.                            
South Central  = AL, AR, KY, LA, MS, OK, TN, TX.                                
West           = AK, AZ, CA, CO, HI, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY.            
                                                                                
The next "Egg Products" report will be released at 3 P.M. ET on March 4, 1997.  
                                                                                
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in  
its programs on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age,  
disability, political beliefs, and marital or familial status.  Persons with    
disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program         
information (braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact the USDA     
Office of Communications at (202) 720-5881 (voice) or (202) 720-7808 (TDD).     
                                                                                
To file a complaint, write the Secretary of Agriculture, USDA, Washington, D.C.,
20250, or call (202) 720-7327 (voice) or (202) 720-1127 (TDD).  USDA is an equal
employment opportunity employer.                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
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          USDA Announces Agricultural Outlook Forum  97                         
                     February 24 and 25, 1997                                   
              Omni Shoreham Hotel, Washington, D.C.                             
                                                                                
An era of freer markets under the 1996 Farm Bill has begun.  For an expert      
assessment of the impact, attend the Outlook Forum.  Top speakers will discuss  
the 1997 farm outlook, prospects to 2005, risk management, concentration issues,
market stability, world food security, marketing high-valued exports and more.  
Plan now to attend.   For program and registration details, check Forum home    
page, call (202) 720-3050 or dial (202) 219-0296 from your fax machine and      
request document 66666.   Send e-mail to agforum@oce.usda.gov.                  
                                                                                
Get news from the Forum.  Can't attend? After the Forum, download speeches from 
the Internet. Or, call 1-800-999-6779 to place an advance order for the printed 
proceedings (YCON-97) or new long term projections to 2005 (WAOB-97-1).         
                                                                                
  Ag Forum home page:  http://www.usda.gov/oce/waob/agforum.htm                 
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                                                                                
                           Agricultural                                         
                             Outlook                                            
                            Forum  97