ARIZONA ANNUAL LIVESTOCK

Arizona Agricultural Statistics Service

and University of Arizona, College of Agriculture

3003 N Central Avenue, Suite 950

Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2994

Phone: (602) 280-8850 Fax: (602) 280-8897

www.usda.gov/nass/az

MARCH 12, 1999

JANUARY 1 CATTLE INVENTORY

DOWN 1 PERCENT

All cattle and calves in the United States as

of January 1, 1999, totaled 98.5 million

head, 1 percent below the 99.7 million on

January 1, 1998 and 3 percent below the

101.7 million two years ago. All cows and

heifers that have calved, at 42.6 million,

were 1 percent below the 43.1 million on

January 1, 1998 and 3 percent below the

43.8 million two years ago. Beef cows, at

33.5 million, were down 1 percent from

January 1, 1998 and 3 percent below two

years ago. Milk cows, at 9.14 million, were

down 1 percent from January 1, 1998 and

2 percent below two years ago. Other

class estimates on January 1, 1999, and

the changes from January 1 last year and

two years ago, respectively, are as follows:

All heifers 500 pounds and over, 19.6

million, down 1 percent and down 3

percent. Beef replacement heifers, 5.55

million, down 4 percent and down 8

percent. Milk replacement heifers, 4.06

million, up 2 percent and slightly above two

years ago. Other heifers, 9.99 million,

down 1 percent and down 2 percent.

Steers weighing 500 pounds and over,

16.8 million, down 2 percent and down 3

percent. Bulls weighing 500 pounds and

over, 2.28 million, slightly above and down

3 percent. Calves under 500 pounds, 17.2

million, down 1 percent and down 4

percent. All cattle and calves on feed for

slaughter, 13.2 million, down 3 percent and

slightly above two years ago.

CALF CROP DOWN 1 PERCENT

The 1998 calf crop was estimated at 38.6

million head, down 1 percent from 1997

and down 3 percent from 1996. Calves

born during the first half of the year are

estimated at 28.4 million, down 1 percent

from 1997 and down 3 percent from 1996.

CATTLE OPERATIONS DOWN 3

PERCENT

The number of operations with cattle

totaled 1,115,650 during 1998, down 3

percent from 1997 and 5 percent below

1996. Beef cow operations in 1998 were

down 2 percent from 1997 and 3 percent

below 1996. Milk cow operations were 6

percent below last year and 11 percent

below two years ago. The three operation

classes, cattle, beef cows, and milk cows,

are classified into size groups

independently. Therefore, it is possible to

have more beef cow operations in a

particular size group than cattle operations.

As an example, an operator with 75 cattle

and 40 beef cows would be classified in the

50-99 size group for cattle and the 1-49

size group for beef cows.

CATTLE AND CALVES INVENTORY JANUARY 1, 1998 AND 1999

ITEM

ARIZONA UNITED STATES

1998 1999 1998 1999

1,000 head

All Cattle and Calves 820 810 99,744 98,522

 Cows that have calved 350 350 43,084 42,615

 Beef Cows that have calved 220 218 33,885 33,472

 Milk Cows that have calved 130 132 9,199 9,143

Heifers 500 pounds and over 90 97 19,800 19,604

 Beef Cow replacement 38 40 5,764 5,550

 Milk Cow replacement 26 23 3,986 4,060

 Other 26 34 10,051 9,994

Steers 500 pounds and over 250 210 17,189 16,836

Bulls 500 pounds and over 20 22 2,270 2,276

Calves under 500 pounds 110 131 17,401 17,190

Cattle and Calves on feed 1/ 245 206 13,608 13,214

Dollars

Value per head 660 640 603 594

1,000 dollars

Total value 541,200 518,400 60,193,070 58,560,210

1997 1998 1997 1998

Number

Operations

 Cattle 3,300 3,200 1,148,050 1,115,650

 Beef Cows 2,300 2,300 872,840 855,860

 Milk Cows 250 250 123,700 116,430

1,000 head

Calf Crop 285 285 38,961 38,582

1/ Total cattle on feed included in other classes.

PUBLISHED MONTHLY

Subscription to “Arizona Livestock” is free to reporters upon request and available for $10 per

year to non-reporters. Send request for order forms or address changes to Arizona Agricultural

Statistics Service, 3003 N Central Avenue, Suite 950, Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2994.

Wilbur Sherman, State Statistician

Eddie Oaks, Technical Leader

Clare Jervis, Agricultural Statistician

Ty Kalaus, Agricultural Statistician

Joel Lehman, Agricultural Statistician

Tim Payne, Agricultural Statistician
RED MEAT AND PORK PRODUCTION SETS RECORD HIGH

Red meat production in commercial plants totaled 45.1 billion

pounds, up 4 percent from a year ago. Red meat includes beef, veal,

pork, and lamb and mutton. Beef production, at 25.7 billion pounds,

was up 1 percent from a year earlier. Veal production totaled 251

million pounds, down 22 percent from last year. Pork production rose

10 percent to 19.0 billion pounds, eclipsing the previous record high

set in 1995 by 7 percent. Lamb and mutton production totaled 249

million pounds, 3 percent below the previous record low set in 1997.

There were 930 slaughtering plants under federal inspection in 1998,

compared with 966 last year. Of these, 795 slaughtered at least one

head of cattle with 14 slaughtering over 50 percent of the total cattle

killed. There were 757 plants that slaughtered hogs, with 11

accounting for 48 percent of the total. Likewise, 10 of the 339 plants

that slaughtered calves accounted for 55 percent of the total and 2

of the 556 plants that slaughtered sheep or lambs in 1998 comprised

40 percent of the total head.

COMMERCIAL RED MEAT PRODUCTION 1997 AND 1998 1/

KIND Dec.

1997

Dec.

1998

January-December

1997 1998

1,000 lbs

ARIZONA

Total Red Meat 26,400 30,300 321,700 328,900

Million lbs

UNITED STATES

Beef 2,024 2,100 25,384 25,653

Veal 26 22 323 251

Pork 1,641 1,799 17,245 18,981

Lamb and Mutton 23 23 257 249

Total Red Meat 3,714 3,943 43,208 45,133

1/ Excludes slaughter on farms.

U.S. HOG INVENTORY UP 2 PERCENT

U.S. inventory of all hogs and pigs on December 1, 1998, was 62.2

million head. This was 2 percent above December 1997, but 2

percent below September 1, 1998. Breeding inventory, at 6.67

million head, was down 4 percent from December 1, 1997 and down

3 percent from September 1, 1998. Market hog inventory, at 55.5

million head, was 2 percent above last year, but 2 percent below last

quarter. The September-November 1998 U.S. pig crop, at 25.9

million head, was 2 percent more than 1997 and 11 percent more

than 1996. Sows farrowing during this period totaled 2.99 million

head, 2 percent above last year. The sows farrowed during this

quarter represented 43 percent of the breeding herd. The average

pigs per litter fell to an average of 8.65 pigs saved per litter for the

September-November period, compared to 8.67 pigs last year. Pigs

saved per litter by size of operation ranged from 7.20 for operations

with 1-99 hogs to 8.90 for operations with more than 5,000 hogs and

pigs. U.S. hog producers intend to have 2.89 million sows farrow

during the December 1998-February 1999 quarter, 1 percent below

the actual farrowings during the same period in 1998 but 8 percent

above 1997. Intended farrowings for March-May 1999, at 2.88

million sows, are 7 percent below the same period last year and 1

percent below 1997. The number of hog operations with hogs

totaled 114,380 during 1998, down 6 percent from last year and 20

percent below 1996. Places with 2,000 or more hogs on hand

accounted for 6 percent of the operations and 64 percent of the

inventory. This is the third time operations with inventories over

2,000 head have controlled over 50 percent of the total inventory.

The number of operations with over 5,000 head of inventory, at 1,915

accounted for 42 percent of the total inventory. The total number of

hogs under contract, owned by these over 5,000 head operations,

but raised by contractees, accounted for 23 percent of the total U.S.

hog inventory.

HOGS AND PIGS INVENTORY

DECEMBER 1, 1997 AND 1998

ITEM ARIZONA UNITED STATES

1997 1998 1997 1998

1,000 head

All Hogs and Pigs 145 115 61,158 62,156

 Breeding 15 17 6,957 6,672

 Market 130 98 54,200 55,483

Market Hogs and Pigs by Weight Groups

 Under 60 pounds 42 42 20,237 20,000

 60-119 pounds 33 21 13,319 13,641

 120-179 pounds 28 17 11,188 11,640

 180 lbs and over 27 18 9,457 10,203

Farrowing Dec. 1/ - Feb. 2/

 Sows farrowing 36 30 2,684 2,929

 Pigs per litter 8.53 8.50 8.63 8.70

 Pig Crop 307 255 23,164 25,480

Farrowings March - May

 Sows farrowing 2,911 3,086

 Pigs per litter 8.67 8.75

 Pig Crop 25,229 26,989

Farrowings June - August

 Sows farrowing 2,946 3,054

 Pigs per litter 8.72 8.72

 Pig Crop 25,696 26,634

Farrowings Sept. - Nov.

 Sows farrowing 2,939 2,990

 Pigs per litter 8.67 8.65

 Pig crop 25,494 25,878

Number

Operations with Hogs

and Pigs 250 250 122,160 114,380

Dollars

Value per head 88 49 82 46

1,000 dollars

Total Value 12,760 5,635 4,985,532 2,831,847

1/ December 1 preceding year.

2/ Annual farrowings for Arizona (December-November).

UNITED STATES HONEY PRODUCTION UP 12 PERCENT

Honey production in 1998 from producers with five or more colonies

totaled 220 million pounds, up 12 percent from 1997. There were

2.63 million colonies producing honey in 1998, up slightly from 1997.

Yield per colony averaged 83.7 pounds, up 9.0 pounds from the 74.7

pounds in 1997. Colonies which produced in more than one State

were counted in each State and yields per colony may therefore be

understated. Colonies were not counted if honey was not harvested.

Producer honey stocks were 80.8 million pounds on December 15,

1998, up 14 percent from a year earlier.

Prices for the 1998 crop averaged 65.5 cents per pound, down 13

percent from 75.2 cents in 1997. Prices are based on retail sales by

producers and sales to private processors and co-ops. At the State

level, prices reflect the portions of honey sold retail, coop and private.

At the U.S. level, prices for each color are derived by weighting

quantities sold for each marketing channel. Coop and Private prices

were lower for all color classes in 1998.

HONEY PRODUCTION, DECEMBER 1997 AND 1998

ITEM ARIZONA UNITED STATES

1997 1998 1997 1998

Number of Honey Producing Colonies

 (000) colonies) 42 55 2,631 2,633

Yield per colony

 (pounds) 80 60 74.7 83.7

Production 

 (000 lbs.) 3,360 3,300 196,536 220,311

Stocks Dec. 15

 (000 lbs) 1,344 1,485 70,696 80,808

Average price per

 lb (Cents) 72 64 75.2 65.5

Value of Production 

 (000 dollars) 2,419 2,112 147,795 144,304
TOTAL SHEEP AND LAMB INVENTORY

DOWN 8 PERCENT

All sheep and lamb inventory in the United

States on January 1, 1999, totaled 7.24

million head, down 8 percent from 1998 and

10 percent below two years ago. Inventory

has declined since 1942 when it reached a

peak of 56.2 million head.

Breeding sheep inventory declined to 5.31

million head on January 1, 1999, down 5

percent from January 1, 1998's 5.61 million

head. Ewes one year old and older, at 4.34

million head, were 5 percent below last year.

Market sheep and lambs on January 1,

1999, totaled 1.92 million head, down 13

percent from January 1, 1998. Market

lambs comprised 96 percent of the total.

Twenty-six percent were lambs under 65

pounds, 17 percent were 65 - 84 pounds, 27

percent 85 - 105 pounds, 26 percent were

over 105 pounds, and 4 percent were

market sheep.

The 1998 lamb crop of 5.01 million head

was down 6 percent from 1997. This

compares with the previous record low of

5.36 million head set a year ago. The 1998

lambing rate was 110 per 100 ewes one

year old and older on January 1, 1998,

compared with 109 in 1997.

The number of operations with sheep during

1998 totaled 68,810, down 5 percent from

1997 and 10 percent from 1996.

SHEEP AND LAMBS INVENTORY JANUARY 1, 1998 AND 1999

ITEM ARIZONA UNITED STATES

1998 1999 1998 1999

1,000 head

All Sheep and Lambs 140 140 7,825 7,238

 Breeding Sheep and Lambs 73 68 5,611 5,314

 Ewes one year old and older 63 58 4,570 4,338

 Rams one year old and older 2 3 203 202

 Replacement Lambs under one year 8 7 839 774

Market Sheep and Lambs 67 72 2,214 1,923

Market Lambs by Weight Groups 66 71 2,123 1,841

 Under 65 pounds 16 14 531 490

 65-84 pounds 11 15 346 327

 85-105 pounds 36 13 635 517

 Over 105 pounds 3 29 611 507

Market Sheep 1 1 91 83

Dollars

Value per head 110 89 102 88

1,000 dollars

Total Value 15,400 12,460 797,826 640,428

1997 1998 1997 1998

Number

Operations with Sheep and Lambs 350 300 72,680 68,810

1,000 head

Lamb Crop 48 47 5,356 5,013

1/ Revised.

ANGORA GOATS INVENTORY JANUARY 1, 1998 AND 1999

ITEM ARIZONA UNITED STATES

1998 1999 1998 1999

1,000 head

Angora Goats 40 38 840 631

Dollars

Value per head 30.00 40.00 38.30 37.40

1,000 dollars

Total Value 1,200 1,520 32,200 23,628

1/ Revised.

HIGHLIGHTS

Egg Production up 3 Percent: Egg

production during the year ending November

30, 1998 totaled 79.7 billion eggs, up 3

percent from the previous year's total of

77.5 billion eggs. Table egg production, at

67.3 billion eggs, increased 3 percent from

1997. Hatching egg production, at 12.4

billion eggs, increased 3 percent. Average

Number of Layers Up 3 Percent: Layer

numbers during 1998 averaged 312 million,

up 3 percent from the year earlier. The

annual average production per layer on

hand in 1998 was 256 eggs, compared with

the 1997 average of 255 eggs per layer.

December 1 Inventory Numbers: The

total number of chickens on hand on

December 1, 1998 (excluding commercial

broilers) was 424 million birds, up 3 percent

from last year. Potential layers (layers 20

weeks old and older, plus pullets 13 weeks

and older but less than 20 weeks) on hand

December 1, 1998, totaled 360 million, up 4

percent from December 1, 1997. Of the 360

million potential layers, 89 percent were 20

weeks old and older and the remainder

were pullets 13 weeks and older but less

than 20 weeks. The total value of all

chickens on December 1, 1998 was $1.14

billion, up 2 percent from December 1,1997.

The average value decreased from $2.72

per bird on December 1, 1997 to $2.69 per

bird on December 1, 1998.

CHICKEN AND EGG PRODUCTION DECEMBER 1, 1997 AND 1998

ITEM

Other States 1/ United States

1997 1998 1997 1998

1,000 birds

All Chickens 312 350 410,030 424,094

 Total Layers 300 348 312,137 320,694

 Layers 1 year old and older 168 347 140,966 150,778

 Layers 20 weeks old but less than 1 year 132 1 171,171 169,916

Total Pullets 7 2 90,344 95,718

 Pullets 13 weeks old & older but less

 than 20 weeks 5 1 35,578 39,664

 Pullet Chicks and pullets under 13

 weeks of age 2 1 54,766 56,054

Other Chickens 5 0 7,549 7,682

Dollars

Value per head 2.00 2.00 2.72 2.69

1,000 dollars

Total Value 624 700 1,113,183 1,139,984

1,000 birds

Annual average number of all layers 296 335 303,604 312,058

Number

Average eggs per layer 207 257 255 256 

Million eggs

Total Egg production 61 86 77,532 79,717

1/ “Other States” includes Arizona, Alaska, and Nevada, not published separately

to avoid disclosure of individual operations.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF

AGRICULTURE

Arizona Agricultural Statistics Service

3003 N Central Ave., Suite 950

Phoenix, Arizona 85012-2994

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