USDA: Beef production and live weights up, slaughter down

According to the USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) latest livestock slaughter numbers, commercial red meat production for the U.S. totaled 4.14 billion pounds in September, up 5 percent from the 3.96 billion pounds produced in September 2014. Beef production, at 2.09 billion pounds, was 1 percent above the previous year. Cattle slaughter totaled 2.47 million head, down 2 percent from September 2014, with average live weights up 39 pounds from the previous year, at 1,383 pounds. Click here to read the entire report from USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service…