The U.S. Department of Agriculture says domestic red meat, beef, and pork production all hit new monthly highs in November. In fact, for the first 11 months of 2017, red meat production is three percent ahead of last year’s record pace, totaling 47.571 billion pounds so far this year. Year-to-year beef production is four percent higher and pork production is three percent higher than last year.
Beef production was at 2.29 billion pounds in November, two percent higher than November of 2016. A three percent increase in November slaughter to 2.761 million head canceled out an 11-pound decrease in the average live-weight to 1,373 per head.
November pork production totaled 2.245 billion pounds, a slight increase this year. The November kill decreased one percent to 10.55 million head and the average live-weight was three pounds higher than last year, coming in at 286 pounds.
Overall, November red meat production was one percent higher than last year at 4.535 billion pounds.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.