Total supplies of red meat in freezers declined 4 percent compared to 2012, while supplies of frozen poultry climbed 2 percent from a year ago, according to the US Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service.
Total red meat supplies in freezers were up 3 percent from August, NASS said. As of Sept. 30, 2013, there were 445,047,000 lbs. of beef in freezers, an increase of 3 percent from August and up 5 percent from 2012. Frozen pork supplies were up 3 percent from the previous month to 566,367,000 lbs., NASS reported. But stocks of frozen pork were 10 percent lower compared to 630,446,000 lbs. recorded last year. Stocks of pork bellies were 22,761,000 lbs., an increase of 18 percent compared to August and up 45 percent from a year ago, NASS said.
Total frozen poultry supplies on Sept. 30, 2013, declined 5 percent to 1.20 billion lbs. compared to 1.272 billion lbs. in August, but up 2 percent from 1.175 billion lbs. a year ago, NASS reported. Total stocks of chicken in freezers slipped 4 percent to 658,975,000 lbs. compared to 689,452,000 in August. Compared to a year ago, chicken stocks increased 1 percent.
Total pounds of turkey in freezers dropped 7 percent to 541,528,000 lbs. from 580,069,000 lbs. reported in August, according to NASS. But turkey stocks gained 4 percent compared to a year ago.
