The latest US Cold Storage numbers reported pork stocks at 400.4 million pounds for December, up 9.3m pounds from November but 27.0m pounds under year-ago levels. Year-to-date, 2024 pork stocks were 417.3m pounds under those reported for 2023. The overall year-to-date decline from 2023 compared to 2024 were largely due to a notable decrease in bellies, which was down 132.5m pounds, while spare-ribs were 84.7m pounds lower and others down generally 50-60 million each such as trimmings, hams, unclassied pork and 'other' pork categories.
Despite many pork categories recording decreased quantities from the previous month, monthly pork stocks finished higher on increased quantities of bellies, spare-ribs and trimmings. Belly stocks rose 11.8m pounds from November but were 21.8m pounds under last year. Spare-ribs were up 4.8m pounds from previously reported and 2.3m over last year, while trimmings rose 5.5m pounds into December and was 2.2m pounds over a year earlier.
Total loin stocks dropped 3.8m pounds in December, with bone-in loins down 2.4m pounds and boneless down 1.4m pounds, bringing current supplies overall 7.2m pounds under year-ago cold storage stocks. Unclassified pork fell 2.7m pounds in the latest month and was 6.9m pounds under a year earlier, while the category accounting for Other Pork declined 2.3m pounds from November and was 11.9m pounds lower than last last. Variety meats fell 1.5m pounds from November and 1.8m pound under lasy ear, while butt were down 1.4m pounds for December but were up 4.3m pounds over a year earlier. Total hams overall in cold storage declined 680 thousand pounds on the month, with the bone-in variety up 1.6m pounds and partially offset by an increase of 910 thousand pounds in boneless hams, while current supplies overall 13.6m pounds over a year earlier.
Competing meats in cold storage varied for the month of December, however were down from a year earlier. Total beef in cold storage was down 16.6m pounds from November stocks and was 23.0m pounds under last year's supplies, while total chicken (including broilers, fryers & roasters as well as chicken cuts) fell 7.6m pounds for December and was 68.6m pounds under a year earlier.
