WASHINGTON – Stocks of pork bellies on July 31, 2015, were 47 percent lower compared to the previous month and 63 percent lower compared to a year ago, the US Department of Agriculture said in its most recent Cold Storage report.
Supplies of pork bellies totaled 23,634,000 lbs. on July 31 compared to 44,432,000 lbs. reported in June and 64,644,000 lbs. tallied a year ago. Total pork supplies in freezers were up slightly from the previous month to 635,166,000 lbs. and up 19 percent compared to the 533,259,000 lbs. reported in 2014.
Stocks of beef in freezers retreated 4 percent in July to 455,128,000 lbs. but increased 24 percent to 367,942,000 lbs. compared to a year ago. Veal stocks in freezers were 14.5 percent higher in July at 3,850,000 lbs. compared to the previous month, but 3 percent lower compared to 2014, USDA reported. Lamb and mutton in freezers were 10 percent higher than the previous month at 39,064,000 lbs. and 15 percent higher compared to year ago supplies of 33,968,000 lbs.
Total red meat supplies in freezers slipped 1 percent on July 31 to 1.13 billion lbs. compared to the previous month but jumped 21 percent compared to the year ago total of 939,121,000 lbs.
Poultry supplies in cold storage were higher, USDA reported. On July 31, frozen poultry supplies totaled 1.27 billion lbs., an increase of 6 percent from the previous month and up 13 percent from the year-ago total of 1.12 billion lbs. Total stocks of chicken totaled 767,907,000 lbs., up 6 percent compared to June, and up 22 percent from the 628,749,000 lbs. reported a year ago. Total pounds of turkey in freezers climbed 7 percent from the previous month to 494,035,000 lbs. and 1 percent from the year-ago total of 489,758,000 lbs.
