The latest US Cold Storage numbers reported pork stocks at 490.2 million pounds for June, down 41.6m pounds from May and 48.9m pounds under year-ago levels. Notably, May's cold storage amount was revised +1.1% higher from 525.9m pounds up to 531.8m pounds.
Spare-ribs, bellies, trimmings and butts accounted for the better part of the overall decline from last reported, however most categories reported lower cold storage inventories from those reported in May. Spare-ribs dropped 16.7m pounds on the month, bringing them 46.2m pounds under high supplies recorded last year. Bellies in cold storage fell 12.0m pounds in June, putting pork bellies 17.4m over a year earlier and notably is the highest June historically recorded since 2014 at 83.9m pounds. Trimmings fell 6.7m pounds from May stocks which is 4.1m pounds under a year earlier, while butts declined 4.5m pounds from last reported and is 4.1m pounds under June 2022. Unclassified pork declined 4.4m pounds on the month and is 3.4m pounds under a year earlier, while the category accounting for Other pork was down 1.6m pounds from May and 5.0m pounds under last year and bone-in picnics slipped 257 thousand pounds in June and is 127 thousand pounds under last year.
Total loins in cold storage increased 2.1m pounds for June which is a modest 290 thousand pounds under last year, with the boneless variety up 3.3m on the month while the bone-in variety fell 1.2m pounds. Variety meats were up 2.0m pounds from last reported but is 1.5m under a year earlier. Total hams overall edged 507 thousand pounds higher in the latest data however is 1.6m pounds under year-ago levels.
Competing meats in cold storage varied on the report. Total beef fell 13.8 million pounds from May stocks and is 104.9m pounds under last year. Total broilers in cold storage increased 27.0m pounds and are 87.2m pounds over a year earlier, while chicken cuts rose 27.1m pounds on the month bringing them 82.5 million pounds over last year.
