Pork production was 1,750 million lbs, down 9% from May and down 4% from June 2011, the U.S.D.A. said. Commercial hog slaughter totaled 8.55 million head, down 4% from the previous year. The average live weight of slaughter hogs was 274 lbs, up 1 lb from a year earlier.
Veal production was 9 million lbs, down 14% from May and down 20% from June 2011. The average weight of calves at slaughter was 270 lbs, up 4 lbs from the previous year.
First-half 2012 commercial red meat production was 24,271 million lbs, up slightly from 24,199 million lbs during the same period last year, the U.S.D.A. said. January-June beef production was 12,757 million lbs, down 2% form 2011, while pork production was 11,377 million lbs, up 3% from a year earlier.
