U.S. produces record meat volume

The United States produced a monthly record volume of meat this August - a total of 4.63 billion pounds.

That’s four per cent more than last August. Production for the first eight months of this year is also up by four per cent from last year.

Beef production, at 2.4 billion pounds, was up by six per cent in August, cattle slaughter at 2.94 million head was up by seven per cent and average carcass weight declined by seven pounds from a record set the year before at 1,345 pounds.

Veal production totalled 6.4 million pounds, five per cent more than last August, and calf slaughter increased by 13 per cent to 46,200 head. The average live weight declined by 17 pounds from last year to 238 pounds.

Pork production totalled 2.21 billion pounds, up by three percent from last August, and matched the increase in the number of hogs slaughtered – up by three per cent to 10.7 million head. The average live weight increased by two pounds to 278 pounds.


Lamb and mutton production, at 12.8 million pounds, was up by two per cent from the slaughter of 194,100 head, which is about the same as a year earlier. Average live weight was 132 pounds, up by two pounds from last August.