News

Several new record highs in cold storage report

 

The USDA says total red meat, poultry, and cheese stocks in cold storage at the end of February were new record highs. Production levels for pork, poultry, and cheese have been out-pacing demand.

The total for red meat was up 1% on the year at 1.125 billion pounds, with an 8% increase in pork stocks to 614.918 million cancelling out an 8% decrease for beef to 460.276 million pounds. Boneless ham, veal, and “other” red meat notched new monthly highs.

Poultry jumped 14% to 1.335 billion pounds, including a 15% rise in chicken stocks to 905.206 million and 13% increase for turkey to 426.772 million pounds. Chicken breasts and breast meat, drumsticks, and thigh meat hit new highs, as did turkey breasts.

The cheese total was 7% above a year ago at 1.314 billion pounds and butter stocks were 3% higher at 276.985 million. In cheese, American was up 2% at 1.116 billion pounds and Swiss was 3% higher at 27.885 million pounds, while other types of cheese saw an increase of 15% at 523.534 million pounds, also a new monthly record.

The USDA’s next set of cold storage numbers is out April 23rd.