USDA’s Cold Storage Report showed beef stocks in frozen storage at the end of February totaled 500.2 million lbs., down 34.1 million lbs. (6.4%) from January, whereas the five-year average decline during the month was 14.7 million pounds. Beef inventories dropped 31.4 million lbs. (5.9%) from last year but were 5.8 million lbs. (1.2%) above the five-year average.
Pork stocks at the end of February totaled 521.2 million lbs., up 2.3 million lbs. (0.4%) from January, far less than the five-year average increase of 35.4 million lbs. during the month. Pork stocks rose 42.9 million lbs. (9.0%) versus February 2022 but were 46.4 million lbs. (8.2%) below the five-year average.
Total poultry stocks at 1.188 billion lbs. increased 29.3 million lbs. (2.5%) from January and 107.5 million lbs. (10.0%) from year-ago. Chicken breast meat stocks at 245.1 million lbs. jumped 40.7% from year-ago and were record-large for the end of February.