Cumulative commercial red-meat production from January to August 2014 was 31.2 billion lbs., down 4 percent from 2013, USDA reported. Accumulated beef production declined 6 percent from last year, veal dropped 12 percent, pork was down 2 percent from a year ago, and lamb and mutton production was slipped 1 percent.
Beef production was down 10 percent to 2.02 billion lbs. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.50 million head, an 11 percent drop from August 2013, USDA reported. The average live weight was 1,329 lbs., up 19 lbs. from a year ago.
Pork production also declined 10 percent from the previous year. Pork production totaled 1.75 billion lbs. Hog slaughter dropped 13 percent to 8.27 million head. The average live weight was 11 lbs. to 282 lbs.
Lamb and mutton production was down 15 percent to 11.7 million lbs. Sheep slaughter totaled 181,400 head, a 13 percent drop from a year ago. The average live weight was 129 lbs., down 4 lbs. from August 2013, according to USDA.
Veal production was 22 percent below August a year ago. Production totaled 7.1 million lbs. Calf slaughter totaled 43,600 head, down 32 percent from August 2013. The average live weight was up 37 lbs. to 277 lbs.
