The latest US Cold Storage numbers reported pork stocks at 517.7 million pounds for January, which was up 61.3m pounds from December and is 83.3m pounds over low year-ago levels. Monthly cold storage supplies recorded increased amounts of most pork primals, only variety meats and trimmings slipped modestly in January, however compared to the reduced supplies recorded for this time last year all primals were above year-ago levels.
- Total hams recorded the largest increase from previously reported (though considered seasonal), up 24.9m pounds for January largely attributed to a surge in the bone-in ham variety and brings hams overall 3.6m pounds over supplies recorded a year earlier. Butts in cold storage were up 7.8m pounds on the month and 9.3m pounds over last year, while bellies were up 7.1m pounds from last reported and are 25.4m pounds over January 2022 and nearly as high as supplies recorded in 2020. Total loins in cold storage increased 7.6m pounds from December levels, with the bone-in variety accounting for the majority of the rise, bringing current loin stocks overall 6.3m pounds over a year earlier.
- Other pork categories on the report recorded more moderate rises in stocks such as bone-in picnics, spare-ribs and other pork which were generally up with 3-6 million pound increases, and unclassified pork which climbed 1.7m pounds on the month. Trimmings slipped 199 thousand pounds bringing supplies 4.0m over a year earlier, while variety meats declined 805 thousand pounds in January with current stocks a modest 176 thousand pounds over 2022.
