News
Big drop for pork in cold storage
U.S. red meat and poultry supplies at the end of May reflected at least some improvement in wholesale, retail, and consumer demand. The lingering effects of processing slowdowns caused by COVID-19 also played a role.
The USDA says the total supply of red meat in cold storage was down 13% from May 2019 at 933.111 million pounds, with a 26% drop in pork to 466.951 million cancelling out a 2% rise in beef at 415.221 million pounds as processing slowdowns contributed to heavier weights. Month to month, pork in cold storage was 24% lower and beef was down 13%, with drawdowns for both significantly larger than average.
The total for poultry was down 4% on the year at 1.285 billion pounds, with the year to year decrease of 15% in turkey to 420.124 million cancelling out a 3% increase for chicken at 856.915 million pounds. The chicken total includes a new monthly high for breasts and breast meat.
The USDA’s monthly livestock slaughter numbers for poultry are out Wednesday afternoon and the numbers for red meat are out Thursday afternoon.
