Beef production from cattle and calves dropped 1% in 2022 to 45.7 billion pounds, while total production from cattle, calves, hogs and pigs jumped up to 86.3 billion pounds.
New figures were released April 27 in the USDA’s Meat Animals Production, Disposition and Income 2022 report. Total cash receipts from marketings of meat animals in 2022 jumped 16% to $117 billion, with cattle and calves accounting for 74% of that total. Receipts from marketings are defined as any sale of farm-slaughtered meats. Marketings include animals for slaughter market and younger animals shipped to other states for feeding and breeding purposes.
The sell-off of cattle in the past year, due largely to the continuing drought seen in another La Nina weather pattern, was especially noteworthy in the southern Plains and California.
Cattle and calf receipts were up 18.3% to $86.1 billion in 2022, marking another high from 2021’s high of $72.7 billion. Among the top three states, Nebraska reaped $13.7 billion in total receipts, followed by Kansas with $11.6 billion and Texas with $11.5 billion.
The 2022 calf crop saw a 1.9% overall drop down to 34.4 million from the 2021 mark of 35.2 million head. Record slaughter numbers seen in 2022 ended up at 1.75 million cattle and 2.06 million calves.
To see the full report, visit the USDA Economics, Statistics and Market Information System (ESMIS) website.
