Market Update From the West Coast Meatheads
Beef
Tenders appear to be currently sitting at their bottom for the year and will be trending up from here. In 2014 tenders started to take off end of August . Ribeye’s still have some downward potential but will probably hit their low for rest of year in the early weeks of August. Strips/Shortloins/flap/ have fallen like a rock over past few weeks and prices will be leveling off for now. Tri tips and ball tips have started to weaken from their yearly highs and expect these to continue to come down in upcoming weeks. Prime continues to remain real scarce due to the current low grade out.
Chicken
Tenders and wogs will be coming off next week but all cuts are a great value. Increased production year over year and decreases in exports are helping cause these low prices.
Pork
Bellies and bacon continue to rise 10-20 cents/week. Butts, loins, ribs are steady.
Lamb
Domestic market remains steady. Legs and loins are steady to slightly down. racks, shoulders and rounds remain steady.Imported market is about the same. Australian racks and New Zealand racks are up 10-25 cents. All other cuts remain steady.
Veal
The veal market is steady. Bones, short tenderloins, butt tenders are in short supply and prices are up slightly. Export ribs, top rounds, shoulder clods, eye of rounds are steady and should stay that way through the summer. You can expect cost increases in the fall as packers will buy Holsteins to raise and herds will decrease for early production.
Shrimp/Lobster
Large Mexican wild shrimp remains steady. As the new season starts up in a few months, we will see how the catch is on large shrimp and what effect it has on cost. Smaller size Mexican wild and farmed have come down 10-20 cents. Foreign shrimp has come down 10-30 cents. Honduras and Nicaraguan lobster season is not quite here yet so supply is scarce right now. We expect some product in about 45 days.