August red meat production down 2% on year

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August red meat production down 2% on year

The USDA says August 2021 commercial red meat production was 4.588 billion pounds, 2% less than August 2020.

Beef came out at 2.36 billion pounds, 1% higher than last year, with a 3% increase in the slaughter to 2.886 million head cancelling out an 11 pound loss for the average live weight at 1,354 pounds.

Pork production was reported at 2.214 billion pounds, down 1% from the monthly record high the previous year, with a 5% decline in slaughter to 10.611 million head and two pound loss for the average live weight at 280 pounds.

Veal and lamb and mutton production all established record monthly lows.

The dairy cow slaughter was 261,400 head, up 13,500 from July and 36,100 head from August 2020. The year-to-date slaughter is 2.073 million head, 22,000 more than at this time last year.

For the year to date, commercial red meat production is 36.879 billion pounds, 1% ahead of the year ago pace.

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