USDA: record red meat production during December

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USDA: record red meat production during December

There was more red meat produced during December 2020 than any other December on record. The USDA says commercial red meat production during December 2020 was 4.853 billion pounds, up 3% from December 2019.

Beef production was 3% higher at 2.325 billion pounds, with a 1% rise in the slaughter to 2.782 million head and a 16 pound gain in the average live weight at 1,389 pounds.

Pork came out at 2.510 billion pounds, also up 3%, with a 1% increase in slaughter to 11.477 million head and a 6 pound gain for the average live weight at 294 pounds.

Unofficially, the U.S. produced a record amount of red meat in 2020, 55.654 billion pounds, up 1% from 2019’s all-time high, as a 2% increase for pork production to 28.230 billion pounds cancelling out a slight year to year decrease for beef at 27.152 billion pounds, with the official totals out in April.

The USDA’s cold storage numbers for December are out Monday afternoon.

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