The U.S. produced more beef in 2022 than any other year on record.
The USDA says combined commercial and on-farm beef production of 28.36 billion pounds was up 1% from 2021, with a 1% increase in the slaughter 34.422 million head canceling out a two pound loss in the average live weight to 1,369 pounds.
The dairy cow slaughter was 3,047,300 head, 59,100 less than the prior year.
Pork production was reported at 27.011 billion pounds, a 2% year-to-year decline as a one pound gain in the average live weight to 289 pounds wasn’t enough to make up for a 2% decrease in slaughter at 125.4 million head.
