News

Record monthly beef production during March

The USDA says beef production was a monthly record for March at 2.506 billion pounds. That’s up 1% on the year with a slight increase in the slaughter pace to 3.015 million head and a twelve-pound gain in the average live weight at 1,384 pounds.

March’s dairy cow slaughter was 297,200 head, up 30,700 from February, but down 5,000 from March 2021. The year-to-date dairy cow slaughter is 824,600 head, 20,100 behind a year ago.

Pork production was 2.456 billion pounds, 4% lower, with the slaughter also down 4% at 11.25 million head, cancelling out a two pound gain for the average live weight to 293 pounds.

Monthly red meat production was 4.979 billion pounds, 1% less than last year, with the 2022 pace 2% behind 2021 at 13.972 billion pounds.