Charleston, West Virginia –
Commercial red meat production during January 2024 totaled 1.2 million pounds. This was up 12 percent from January 2023. Commercial red meat production is the carcass weight after slaughter including beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton. Individual commodity production is total live weight of commercial slaughter.
Commercial cattle slaughter totaled 1,799,000 pounds live weight, up 15 percent from January 2023. Cattle slaughter totaled 1,600 head, up 200 head from the previous year. The average live weight was up 17 pounds from the previous year, at 1,145 pounds.
Commercial calf slaughter was not published because data were less than level of precision shown or not applicable.
Commercial hog slaughter totaled 236,000 pounds live weight, up 14 percent from last year. Hog slaughter totaled 800 head, up 100 head from the previous year. The average live weight was down 17 pounds from the previous year, at 299 pounds.
Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter was not published to avoid disclosing individual operations.
United States – Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.77 billion pounds in January, up slightly from the 4.76 billion pounds produced in January 2023. Beef production, at 2.28 billion pounds, was 2 percent below the previous year.
Cattle slaughter totaled 2.73 million head, down 3 percent from January 2023. The average live weight was up 9 pounds from the previous year, at 1,389 pounds. Veal production totaled 3.9 million pounds, 12 percent below January a year ago.
Calf slaughter totaled 22,600 head, 26 percent below January 2023. The average live weight was up 45 pounds from last year, at 294 pounds.
Pork production totaled 2.47 billion pounds, 2 percent above the previous year. Hog slaughter totaled 11.4 million head, 2 percent above January 2023. The average live weight was down 1 pound from the previous year, at 292 pounds.
Lamb and mutton production, at 10.6 million pounds, was 4 percent above January 2023. Sheep slaughter totaled 171,700 head, 5 percent above last year. The average live weight was 121 pounds, down 2 pounds from January a year ago. January 2023 contained 22 weekdays (including 2 holidays) and 4 Saturdays. January 2024 contained 23 weekdays (including 2 holidays) and 4 Saturdays.