December 6, 2007

US meat companies anticipate holiday demand increase

Oklahoma City meat companies have seen a spike in mail order and online sales of turkeys and hams for the holiday season.

Cusack Meats, one of the US companies to enjoy a surge of demand, has been in business since 1933 offering a variety of steaks hams and turkeys.

Al Cusack, co-owner of Cusack Meats, said in the first years the company offered smoked turkeys and honey-glazed hams and sold a few hundred of each around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.

Cusack sells its honey glazed spiral sliced hams in half or whole portions at US$49 and US$79 respectively. Likewise it sells a hickory-smoked turkey for US$45 and a larger bird for US$69.

The Cusack products are only available through mail order or at its facility. Cusack said the company is staying busy filling holiday orders for its steaks, prime rib, turkeys and hams.

Oklahoma City meat company Schwab & Co. is also seeing record demand this year for its smoked turkeys and hams, which are available for mail order and in local grocery stores.

Cusack and Schwab both said they have seen increased demand this year for prime rib.