LITTLE EFFECT SEEN FROM COLD STORAGE REPORT
The USDA monthly cold storage report
for meats is expected to have little, if any, effect on
livestock and meat futures at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange
Monday and daily fundamentals will likely provide the bulk of
direction, livestock analysts said.
    The increase of 66.4 mln lbs in total poultry offsets the
22.6 mln lbs decline in total red meats. Fundamentals may
provide most of the direction in futures on Monday, they said.
    "I think the market is going to be looking at some other
things and accentuate whatever the action of cash markets might
be early next week," Jerry Gidel, livestock analyst for GH
Miller, said.
    Shearson Lehman livestock analyst Chuck Levitt said futures
will be in the shadow of a little larger seasonal hog
marketings pace next week. Also, Easter ham business was
completed this week and there may be less aggressive interest
for pork in general next week.
    "We needed some help from the cold storage report to avert
a possible setback next week in the pork complex," Levitt said.
    Analysts agreed with CME floor traders and called the belly
figure neutral to slightly negative. Although belly stocks were
down 33 pct from last year, they exceeded the average
expectation and actually showed a lighter than expected decline
from last month due to an adjustment to last month's holdings,
they said.
    However, analysts noted that the amount of bellies put in
storage has been light since the beginning of March and this is
a potentially bullish situation.
    Glenn Grimes, agronomist at the University of Missouri,
said, "I would not look for (belly) storage during the next
month or two to be heavier than a year ago - I think it will be
less."
 Reuter
