News

Red meat, poultry in cold storage up on year

Red meat and poultry supplies in cold storage moved higher in February.

The USDA says the total for red meat stocks at the end of the month was 1.052 billion pounds, 2% above a year ago.

That was because of a 6% drop on the year for beef stocks to 500.206 million pounds due to lower monthly production and comparatively better demand being canceled out by a 9% rise in pork to 521.188 million pounds, even as monthly production fell slightly below last year’s levels. The pork total did include significant year-to-year increases for both bellies and bone-in loins.

Poultry supplies jumped 10% from the end of February 2022 to 1.188 billion pounds with chicken and turkey stocks both 10% above a year ago, at 863.337 million and 322.297 million pounds, respectively, with record large chicken breast and breast meat and chicken leg stocks.

The USDA’s next round of annual red meat and poultry production projections is out April 11^th.