WASHINGTON – The US Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) projected per capita meat and poultry consumption to climb in 2017, according to early-release tables of the agency’s upcoming USDA Agricultural Projections to 2026 report.

Broiler consumption, pegged at 89.6 lbs., was forecast to climb 90.4 lbs. in 2017 before declining to about 88 lbs. before consistently edging higher to about 89 lbs. in 2026. Total per capita poultry consumption, which includes broilers, turkeys and “other chicken” products, is forecast to increase to 108.7 lbs. in 2017 from 107.7 lbs. in 2016.

Per capita beef consumption was forecast to increase slightly to 56.6 lbs. in 2017 from 55.4 lbs. in 2016. USDA projected another slight increase in 2018-2019 before declining consistently to 56 lbs. in 2026.

Meanwhile, USDA projected per capita pork consumption to climb 2 percent in 2017 to 51 lbs. from 49.9 lbs. in 2016. Consumption is forecast to decline slightly and remain flat until 2021. The last two years of the outlook have per capita pork consumption at about 51 lbs.

Total per capita red meat consumption, which includes beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton, is forecast to advance 2 percent to 108.8 lbs. in 2017 from 106.6 lbs. in 2016 and then remain relatively flat at about 108 lbs. in the final three years of the outlook.

The preliminary long-range outlook uses the USDA’s November World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report as a starting point. Forecasts will be revised and commentary added in the department’s Agricultural Projections to 2026 report in February 2017, which coincides with the USDA’s annual Outlook Forum. The tables provide a first glimpse at the USDA’s 2017-18 projections.