October 7, 2010

US state beef output up 15% in August

Montana slaughter plants produced 1.5 million pounds, dressed weight, of red meat during August 2010, up 15% from August 2009.

Cattle slaughter totalled 1,700 heads, up 300 heads from one year ago. The average live weight increased 1 pound from last year to 1,231 pounds.

There were 1,500 hogs slaughtered in Montana during August, unchanged from a year ago. The average live weight, at 240 pounds, increased 8 pounds from last year.

Commercial red meat production for the US totalled 4.13 billion pounds in August, up 1% from the 4.08 billion pounds produced in August 2009.

Beef production, at 2.29 billion pounds, was 5% above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totalled 2.96 million heads, up 6% from August 2009. The average live weight was down 16 pounds from the previous year, at 1,277 pounds.

Calf slaughter totalled 76,200 heads, down 1% from August 2009. The average live weight was up 20 pounds from last year, at 254 pounds.

Pork production totalled 1.82 billion pounds, down 3% from the previous year. Hog kill totalled 9.11 million head, down 2% from August 2009. The average live weight was down 1 pound from the previous year, at 267 pounds.