Wool Pool Dates Schedules by Dale Miller

The following dates have been scheduled for collection of North Carolina wool:

June 26- Asheville, NC Contact: Steve Duckett
June 27- Sparta, NC Contact: Charles Young
July 5- Williamston, NC Contact: Richard Lichtenwalner
July 6- Albemarle, NC. Contact: Brian Beer

Collections will again be managed through Mid-States Wool Growers Cooperative Association. This is the last year that wool delivered in burlap will be accepted and replacement bags will again be plastic. Remember to individually identify each bag with name and address. Wool is no longer weighed, graded or rebagged at the pool. Receipt tickets and subsequent payments will be provided by Mid-States Cooperative. •

As you are aware, it is again time to consign bulls to the next set of tests. We will be mailing consignment information to past consignors in about two weeks. If you have producers who are interested in consigning for the first time, please get their name and address to Linda Kern (Linda_Kern@ncsu.edu) and we will put them on the mailing list. Also, you may go to our web site after May 5, 2000 (http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/an_sci/extension/animal/bcip/Ahbcip.htm) for information on the bull tests and sales. The web site includes a consignment form that you can print out for interested producers.

I would point out that the number of consignments this past year at the Piedmont Station was insufficient to conduct the test. Should we have a repeat of that situation, it is likely that the Piedmont Station will be closed. We look forward to working with you and your producers again this year to have successful tests and sales. We greatly appreciate the support you provide for the NC BCIP test station programs.•

1999 Gross Income From Meat Animals Up 5 Percent -
Cattle and Calves Account for 80% of Gross
by Roger L. McCraw

The 1999 gross income from cattle and calves, hogs and pigs, and sheep and lambs for the US totaled $46.0 billion, up 5 percent from 1998. Gross income rose for cattle and calves, but fell for hogs and pigs and sheep and lambs. Cattle and calves increased 9 percent, while hogs and pigs and sheep and lambs decreased 9 and 3 percent, respectively.

Total 1999 cash receipts from marketings of meat animals increased 5 percent to $45.6 billion. Cattle and calves accounted for 80 percent of this total, hogs and pigs 19 percent, and sheep and lambs 1 percent. Production increased for cattle and calves, but declined for both hogs and pigs and sheep and lambs. Average prices were up from 1998 levels for cattle and calves and sheep and lambs, while hogs and pigs dropped.

Cattle and Calves: Cash receipts from marketings of cattle and calves increased from $33.4 billion in 1998 to $36.5 in 1999, a 9 percent increase. All cattle and calf marketings totaled 56.7 billion pounds in 1999, up 3 percent from last year. The US annual average price per 100 pounds live weight for cattle was $63.40, an increase of $3.80 from 1998. For calves, the annual average price increased $8.90 to $87.70.

Hogs and Pigs: Cash receipts from hogs and pigs totaled $8.6 billion during 1999, down 9 percent from 1998. Marketings increased to 27.0 billion pounds in 1999, up 2 percent from 1998. The US annual average price per 100 pounds live weight decreased $4.10 to $30.30 in 1999.

Sheep and Lambs: Cash receipts from marketings of sheep and lambs in 1999 were $469 million, down 3 percent from 1998. Marketings declined 7 percent to 689 million pounds. The US annual average price per 100 pounds live weight for lambs increased from $30.60 in 1998 to $31.10 in 1999 while for sheep, the annual average price increased $2.20 to $74.50.

(from USDA Meat Animals Production, Disposition, and Income 1999 Summary - April 2000)•