Today’s WASDE reduced the forecast for red meat and poultry production slightly from the September forecast with higher cow slaughter from culling being offset by lower hog slaughter in Q4, a slower pace of steer and heifer slaughter, and recent trends in poultry hatchery and slaughter data (more on that below).  

The outlook for next year is lower production based on lighter feeder cattle placements in early 2022 and tighter supplies of fed cattle in the second half of 2022, lower hog slaughter based on the latest Hogs and Pigs Inventory report, which showed drops in the June to August pig crop and the farrowing intentions for September to November. An interesting change from the September WASDE to today’s report...