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LIVESTOCK SLAUGHTER

Red Meat Production Down For December
Veal And Lamb & Mutton Set Record Lows

(January 19, 2001) Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 3.62 billion pounds in December, down 6 percent from the 3.86 billion pounds produced in December 1999.

December 1999 contained 23 weekdays and 4 Saturdays (including one holiday).

December 2000 contained 21 weekdays (including one holiday) and 5 Saturdays.

Beef production, at 2.00 billion pounds, was 5 percent below the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.72 million head, down 5 percent from 1999. The average live weight was down 1 pound from the previous year, at 1,224 pounds.

Veal production totaled 18 million pounds, 13 percent below the previous record low for December set a year ago. Calf slaughter totaled 92 thousand head, down 18 percent from December 1999. The average live weight was 17 pounds above last year, at 319 pounds.

Pork production totaled 1.58 billion pounds, down 7 percent from the previous year. Hog kill totaled 8.09 million head, 9 percent below 1999. The average live weight was 4 pounds above the previous year, at 265 pounds.

Lamb and mutton production, at 21 million pounds, was down 12 percent from December 1999 and down 5 percent from the previous record low for December set in 1996. Sheep slaughter totaled 301 thousand head, 15 percent below last year. The average live weight was 139 pounds, up 4 pounds from December a year ago.

January-December red meat production was 46.1 billion pounds, just below the comparable figure a year earlier. Accumulated beef production was 1 percent higher than last year, veal was down 4 percent, pork was down 2 percent, and lamb and mutton was down 5 percent.

Livestock Slaughter: Number, United States (1,000 Head)
Cattle Calves Hogs
Dec 99 2,874.8 112.2 8,884.7
Nov 00 2,930.9 92.4 8,756.5
Dec 00 2,718.7 91.6 8,094.4
Jan-Dec 99-X 36,149.9 1,281.9 101,544.2
Jan-Dec 00-X 36,247.4 1,131.5 97,954.5
R--Revised
Note-Excludes slaughter on farms.
Totals may not add due to rounding.
X--Accumulated totals and percentages based on unrounded data.

Commercial Red Meat Production, United States
(million pounds)
Beef Veal Pork
Dec 99 2,113 20 1,705
Nov 00 2,169 18 1,712
Dec 00 1,998 18 1,583
Jan-Dec 99-X 26,385 224 19,278
Jan-Dec 00-X 26,777 215 18,906
Note-Based on packers' dressed weights and excludes farm slaughter.
X--Accumulated totals based on unrounded data.

Classification Of Livestock Slaughtered Under Federal Inspection, U.S. (1,000 head)
Cattle-Y Dec 99 Nov 00 Dec 00 Jan-Dec 99 Jan-Dec 00
Steers 1,395 1,368 1,280 17,608 17,758
Heifers 882 955 878 11,648 11,835
All Cows 487 507 465 5,603 5,427
Dairy Cows 233 240-R 228 2,573 2,634
Other Cows 254 267-R 237 3,030 2,793
Bulls and Stags 50 49 42 627 612
Total-X 2,814 2,879 2,665 35,486 35,631
Hogs-Y
Barrows, Gilts 8,423 8,338 7,682 96,000 93,114
Sows 267 268 236 3,335 3,005
Stags, Boars 30 27 24 404 316
Total-X 8,719 8,633 7,942 99,739 96,435
R-Revised
X--Total and percentages based on unrounded data.
Y--Species totals and classification reported by meat inspectors, Inspection Operations FSIS

January 19, 2001
NASS, USDA

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