Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.95 billion pounds in May, down 5 percent from the 4.15 billion pounds produced in May 2013, according to USDA’s latest Livestock Slaughter report issued this afternoon.
Beef production,at 2.07 billion pounds, was 7 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.63 million head, down 8 percent from May 2013. The average live weight was up 10 pounds from the previous year, at 1,299 pounds.
Veal production totaled 7.8 million pounds, 14 percent below May a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 46,700 head, down 20 percent from May 2013. The average live weight was up 19 pounds from last year, at 284 pounds.
An estimated 209,000 dairy cows were “retired” from the dairy business in May, down 21,000 head from April and 39,000 head less than May 2013.
An estimated 1.192 million culled dairy cattle were slaughtered under Federal inspection in the January to May period, 155,000 less than the same period a year ago.
Source: Dairy Business Weekly.
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