USDA monthly cold storage data released Monday afternoon showed combined meat and poultry stocks held in the nation’s freezer warehouses at the end of June at 1.4% above the previous month and 2.8% under a year ago.
BEEF
Beef stocks were reported at 394.5 million pounds, down 2.6%, from May. Beef stocks were 12.1% below the year-ago figure of nearly 449 million pounds. The five-year average change in beef stocks in June is a decrease of 5.8 million pounds.
PORK
End-June pork stocks were reported at 622.4 million pounds, a decrease of 1% from the previous month. The report showed pork holdings 10.8% above the year-ago figure. Ham stocks at the end of June were reported at 170.6 million pounds, up 14% from the previous month and 15% over a year ago. The latest figure was 6.6% over the five-year average of 160 million pounds. Bellies in cold storage were reported at 56.5 million pounds, down 7.6 million pounds, or 12%, from the previous month and 6% over a year ago.
POULTRY
Chicken stocks were reported at 836.2 million pounds, up 0.2% from the previous month and 5.8% below a year ago. The figure was 9.3% above the five-year average of nearly 765 million pounds.
Turkey stocks were up 9% from end-May but 4.1% below a year ago. The end-June figure was 538.8 million pounds, about 5.4% above the five-year average of 511 million pounds.
Whole turkeys in the freezer warehouses as of June 30 were reported at 285.9 million pounds, up from 255.2 million the previous month and down from the year-ago figure of 306.3 million pounds. Tom turkeys as of end-June were reported at 148.8 million pounds, below the 160.8 million pounds the previous year.
Turkey breast in storage was at 105.3 million pounds, down from 105.5 million the previous month and up from 99.2 million a year ago.
