2023 ended with tighter supplies of red meat and poultry in cold storage than 2022.
The USDA says the red meat total at the end of last year was 929.03 million pounds, 99.198 million pounds less than the previous year, largely due to better demand for beef and lower production on pork.
Poultry wrapped up the year at 1.116 billion pounds, 7.482 million under the year before, with chicken declining due to demand, which canceled out an increase in production, but with turkey stocks rising because of slower demand and higher production.