US fats output lower in June: USDA

US output of animal fats that can be used as renewable biofuel feedstocks was lower in June, according to US Department of Agriculture data.

Inedible tallow, made from rendered cattle, had the most production at 306mn lbs, down by 9.8pc from May, which had one less weekday.

Compared to a year prior when Covid-19 related closures affected meat processing plant productivity, the week's volumes were down by 5.6pc.

Technical tallow production for June was 94mn lbs, down by 20.5pc from prior month.

Edible tallow production was 89.6mn lbs, down by 12.8pc from the previous month but up by 16.7pc from June 2020.

Compared to June 2019, the year before the pandemic hit, the production for edible and technical tallows were up while inedible tallow output was down.

Bleached fancy tallow prices in the delivered US Gulf coast market have increased by 10¢/lb since the start of June, with the Argus-assessed price last at 66¢/lb.

The production of choice white grease (CWG) from pork fat fell by 3.4pc to 88.6mn lbs in June from the prior month. CWG was down by 23pc from a year ago total of 115mn lbs.

CWG was last at 59¢/lb in the Iowa fob market, up by 6.5¢/lb from the start of June.

June poultry fat production was 186.5mn lbs, down by 5.2pc from May and down by 10pc from a year earlier. Poultry fat prices have gained 5¢/lb from the start of June to last stand at 51¢/lb in the Georgia fob market.

Yellow grease production was at 201mn lbs, increasing by 10.5pc from prior month and up by 16.1pc from a year earlier. Yellow grease production figures include lower quality tallow from rendering plants and used cooking oil, according to the USDA.

US Gulf coast yellow grease last had an Argus-assessed price of 64¢/lb, up by 14¢/lb from the beginning of June.

By Jamuna Gautam