The latest US Cold Storage numbers reported pork stocks at 410.2 million pounds for January, up +3.5% or 13.7m pounds from December which was revised -1.0% lower from 400.4m to 396.5m pounds. Compared to a year earlier, the latest pork stocks were down -11.5% or 53.1m pounds lower as most pork categories fell below year-ago levels.
Total ham stocks rose 11.6m pounds or +17.0% due to a surge in the boneless variety in January, and were up 5.1m pounds or +6.8% from a year earlier. Bellies in cold storage jumped +23.9% or 8.2m pounds from December but recorded the greatest year-over-year decline in the latest data, falling -32.3% or 20.1m 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. Spare-ribs increased +4.1% or 3.3m pounds for January, down 3.3m pounds or -3.8% compared to a year earlier, while trimmings climbed 1.2m pounds or +2.5% from December and were +4.5% or 2.1m pounds over last year, and bone-in picnics were up 461 thousand pounds or +7.1% for the latest month and 1.2m pounds or +21.5% over a year earlier.
The category accounting for 'Other Pork' fell 4.5m pounds or -11.2% in January to bring year-over-year supplies down -26.5% or 12.8m pounds lower than Jan'24. Butts were down 2.5m pounds or -11.3% from December and -2.2% or 443 thousand pounds under a year earlier, while unclassified pork fell 2.0m pounds or -5.5% on the month and -24.% or 11.1m pounds under a year earlier, and variety meats declined -5.3% or 1.2m pounds for January and -18.7% or 5.1m pounds under last year. Total loins edged 843 thousand pounds lower or -2.4% and -20.2% or 8.6m pounds under year-ago stocks, largely due to reduced bone-in loin supplies.
Competing meats in cold storage were also recorded higher on the month but lower than last year. Total beef in cold storage was up +2.2% or 9.9m pounds from December stocks but -0.3% or 1.3m pounds under last year's supplies, while total chicken (including broilers, fryers & roasters as well as chicken cuts) were up +0.4% or 3.5m pounds from December but -3.1% or 25.7m pounds under a year earlier.
