USDA lowers forecasts for meat production

USDA has lowered its forecast for total US meat production for last year and this year as broilers and hog data indicated less output, according to the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report released last week by USDA.

Data for beef and turkey production suggest previous forecasts to be on track, according to the report.

For 2008, USDA now sees 93.597 billion pounds of red meat and poultry and 92.471 billion pounds for this year's combined production.

This month's forecasts are 193 million pounds less than the previous estimates for last year and 293 million pounds less for 2009.

If the 2008 red meat and poultry production is 93.597 billion pounds, it will be 2.9 percent more than 2007, and the new forecast for 2009 will be 1.2 percent less than last year.

Broiler production for 2008 was trimmed to 36.500 billion pounds, and 2009 was reduced to 35.936 billion pounds.

Last year's production would be 2.1 percent above 2007, and 2009 production would be 1.5 percent less than 2008.