The United States Meat Industry At A Glance
Published by the American Meat Institute, a U.S.-based trade group, this pamphlet provides an overview of the U.S. meat industry, including consumption and production estimates. In 2009, meat and poultry production reached over 93.9 billion pounds, with average meat consumption consisting of 55% red meat, 37% poultry, and 8% fish.
U.S. meat industry statistics:
- In 2008, the U.S. meat industry “processed” 9.1 billion chickens, 271 million turkeys, 117 million pigs, 32 million cattle, and 3 million sheep and lambs. In turn, the industry produced 37.5 billion pounds of chicken, 6.2 billion pounds of turkey, 23.3 billion pounds of pork, 26.6 billion pounds of beef, and 317 million pounds of veal, lamb, and mutton.
- The top meat and poultry slaughtering states include: Cattle – Nebraska, Kansas, Texas; Pigs – Iowa, North Carolina, Illinois; Chickens – Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama; Turkeys – Minnesota, North Carolina, Arkansas.
- The U.S. is the third largest beef exporter in the world, distributing over 897,437 metric tons of beef in 2009.
- The U.S. is the third largest pork exporter in the world, distributing over 1.86 million metric tons of pork in 2009.
- Poultry exports totaled 3.89 million metric tons in 2009, with the top three markets being Russia, China, and Mexico.