June 4, 2018

US pork production hits record high in March; exports, imports down

US pork production in March hit a record high, totalling 2.30 billion pounds, up 1% year-on-year and 12% higher than the previous month.

According to "The Economic Landscape", a monthly publication of the US Department of Agriculture, May 2018 issue, Hogs slaughtered in March totalled 10.7 million head, up slightly from March 2017. The average live weight added 2 pounds on a yearly basis, to 286 pounds.

Pork exports in March (including variety meats) were down slightly from 2017 to 222,000 tonnes, and value was up 2% to $577 million. Pork export volume and value were both 11 percent higher than in February.

The largest overseas markets for US pork were Japan, Mexico and South Korea.

In March pork imports were down 3% to 43,000 tonnes and values were down 7% to $145 million. The volume of pork imports rose 5% from February, but the value was steady.

Canada, Poland and Denmark exported the largest volumes of pork to the US.