News

Record red meat, pork production for January

The USDA says commercial red meat and pork production notched new all-time monthly highs in January.

Red meat totaled 4.701 billion pounds, up 2% from the previous record set last year, with pork jumping 4% to 2.373 billion pounds on a 3% rise in the monthly slaughter to 11.041 million head and 2-pound gain in the average live weight at 288 pounds.

Beef was up 1% at 2.309 billion pounds, with a 3% increase in the kill to 2.830 million head canceling out a 13-pound loss for the average live weight to 1,363 pounds.

Veal and lamb and mutton production were down on the year at 6.6 million and 12.5 million pounds, respectively.

The USDA says January’s dairy cow slaughter was 298,400 head, up 8.6 million head on the year.

The USDA’s 2018 commercial red meat production totals are out April 24th.