Evening star., 1950-05-31
Beef Is Leading
Spring Increase
In Price Of Meat
Six Reasons for Rise;
Dealers Won't Guess
On Market Outlook

Beef is leading the usual spring
rise in meat prices here, with ad-
yances in the cost to the consumer
of IL to 20 cents in the last two
weeks.
Washington dealers say there is
a scarcity of dressed beef in the
East, but they would not predict
whether the rather sharp upward
trend will continue or fall off in
the next week.
Pork, especially loins and hams
has advanced from to 10 cents
on the retail market in a similar
period, while the price of lamb
remains comparatively stable here
dealers. said.
All prices are substantially
above their seasonal low marks
of two months ago.
Six Reasons Cited.
Meat and livestock experts at
Chicago advanced half a dozen
reasons for the rise in prices, the
Associated Press reported.
l. There is a seasonal decline in
supplies.
2. Producers are developing Gag
ier marketing practices.
8. A late spring is maintaining
consumer appetites for meat long
er than usual.
4. Factory wage totals are ris-
ing, reaching a new high mark
for April
5. Hotels, restaurants and sum-
mer resorts are stepping up their
demands in anticipation of vaca-
tionS.
6. Prices of corn and oats con-
tinue to rise, making it less eco
nomical to feed livestock to heav-
ier weights which would yield a
greater tonnage of meat.
Pork LOins Averaging 4O-49.
year ago No. l fresh pork loins
were running 48 to go cents a
pound at wholesale. Now they are
around 40 to 40, and at the low
point of the season late in March
they were 35 to 3812 cents a
pound.
Livestock. barrows and gifts
OF similar quality averaged about
$20.50 a hundred pounds a year
ago, topping at $21.50. Now they
are averaging around $19 with the
top close to $2050, while at the
low point the average was under
$15.75 and the market top at SIG
Good and choice beef carcasses
on the other hand. were SAL to
$45 hundred pounds wholesale g
year ago, compared with $45 to
$40 now and a seasonal low early
in April at $41.50 to $49.50. Me-
dlum to choice steers sold from
$24.50 to $28.5O year ago, the
best making $29 hundred pounds
at the Stockyards. Lately they
have been $2675 to $3.50 and a
top of $3.50. But early in April
they were about $23 to $30.50 and
peak of $32 to $33.
Lamb Is Lower, Also.
Although lamb is more expen-
sive, pound for pound, than
either pork or beef, it too is lower
than year ago. At wholesale,
good to choice fresh lamb car
casses were So to 81 cents a pound
Z q year ago and are about SO
to 81 cents. Lambs have main
tanned fairly stable live levels
since their low point in De-
cember when they ranged below
$24 hundred pounds. Now they
. are about $27, compared with $29
to $50 a year ago.
!, Some livestock men see chang
4 ing trend in livestock marketing
I especially in hogs. December and
afJanuary still are the peak months
! for the spring pig movement, but
], supplies start to swell in Novem-
] Der and have petered out pretty
Y much before the end of January.
s This means, say meat men, the
Shogs are being marketed at light
Ser weights, which in turn means
ttsSless actual pork tonnage being
4 turned out than formerly.
Another market analyst saio
ahog producers, through their mar
exciting associations, are carefully
swatching day-to-day supply and
{ demand figures at the Nations
I stockyard centers so as not to
: overload the market and cause a
price break.