April 30, 2010

Red meat production for the US, which includes beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton, totalled 49.4 billion pounds in 2009, 2% lower than 2008.

Red meat production in commercial plants totalled 49.3 billion pounds whereas on-farm slaughter totalled 139 million pounds. Beef production totalled 26.1 billion pounds, down 2% from a year ago; veal, 147 million pounds, down 3% from last year; pork at 23.0 billion pounds, down 1% from the previous year; and lamb and mutton production totalled 177 million pounds, down 2% from 2008.

Commercial cattle slaughter during 2009 totalled 33.3 million head, down 3% from 2008, with federal inspection comprising 98.3% of the total. The average live weight was 1,293 pounds, up 11 pounds from last year. Steers comprised 49.8% of the total federally inspected cattle slaughter, heifers 29.7%, dairy cows 8.6%, other cows 10.1%, and bulls 1.7%.

Commercial calf slaughter totalled 944,200 head, 1% lower than a year ago with 98.5% under federal inspection. The average live weight was 250 pounds, down 7 pounds from a year earlier.

Commercial hog slaughter totalled 113.6 million head, 2% lower than 2008 with 99.1% of the hogs slaughtered under federal inspection. The average live weight was up 3 pounds from last year, at 271 pounds. Barrows and gilts comprised 96.7% of the total federally inspected hog slaughter.

Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter, at 2.52 million head, was down 2% from the previous year with 92.3% by federal inspection. The average live weight was unchanged from 2008 at 136 pounds. Lambs and yearlings comprised 93.2% of the total federally inspected sheep slaughter.

There were 834 plants slaughtering under federal inspection on January 1, 2010 compared with 818 last year. Of these plants, 633 slaughtered cattle during 2009 with the 14 largest slaughtering 56% of the total cattle killed. Hogs were slaughtered at 615 plants, with the 12 largest plants accounting for 55% of the total. Likewise, six of the 276 plants that slaughtered calves accounted for 56% of the total and four of the 504 plants that slaughtered sheep or lambs in 2009 comprised 67% of the total head.

Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Texas accounted for 50% of the United States commercial red meat production in 2009, similar to 2008.