U.S. red meat and poultry stocks fell during February.
That’s thanks to solid demand canceling out larger monthly production for beef, pork, and chicken.
The USDA says red meat stocks on Leap Day 2024 dropped 13% on the year to 920.039 million pounds, with the beef and pork totals both down 12% at 442.751 million and 456.499 million pounds, respectively.
Pork included a 10% decrease in bellies, along with an 18% decline for hams ahead of Easter retail featuring, which also pulled lamb and mutton stocks lower.