The United States Meat Industry at a Glance
Feeding
300 Million Americans
Feeding
Us Essential Nutrients
Feeding
Our Economy
Feeding
the World
Fast
Facts
Feeding 307 Million Americans
The meat and poultry industry is the largest
segment of U.S. agriculture. Total meat and
poultry in 2009 reached more than 93.9 billion
pounds.
In 2008, the meat
and poultry industry
processed:
9.1 billion
chickens
32.4 million cattle
271
million turkeys
2.6 million sheep and lambs
116.5 million hogs
In 2008, American meat companies
produced:
37.5 billion pounds
of chicken
26.6 billion pounds of
beef
23.3 billion pounds of pork
6.2
billion pounds of turkey
317 million pounds
of veal, lamb and mutton
Top Livestock Producing States
2008
Cattle - Nebraska,
Kansas, Texas
Hog - Iowa, North
Carolina, Illinois
Chicken - Georgia,
Arkansas, Alabama
Turkey - Minnesota,
North Carolina, Arkansas
There are 6,032 federally inspected meat and poultry slaughtering and processing plants in the United States.
Feeding Us Essential Nutrients
- The Dietary Guidelines for Americans, published by the Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services, recommend eating 5.7 ounces of meat per day as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
- There are at least:
- 29 cuts of beef
- 6 cuts of pork
- And numerous poultry cuts that are leaner and have less calories than a 3 oz. serving of salmon
- A 3-oz. serving of lean meat provides about
160-200 calories plus significant amounts of
many key nutrients such as protein. These
proteins contain all 9 essential amino acids
needed for growth and good overall health,
making meat a “complete” protein.
- Meat is also a great source for iron,
magnesium, zinc, niacin, selenium, riboflavin
and B-vitamins that help your body turn food
into energy.
- New studies show meat can aid in weight loss by providing a sense of satisfaction that helps to control appetite and metabolize food more efficiently.
Feeding our Economy
- In 2009, more than 526,290 workers were employed in the meat and poultry packing and processing industries. Their combined salaries total more than $19 billion.
- Through its production and distribution linkages, the meat and poultry industry impacts firms in all 509 sectors of the U.S. economy, in every state and every congressional district in the country.
- In all, companies involved in meat production, along with their suppliers, distributors, retailers and ancillary industries employ 6.2 million people in the U.S. with jobs that total $200 billion in wages.
- Through direct taxes paid, these companies and their employees provide $81.2 billion in revenues to federal, state and local governments. The consumption of meat and poultry generates $2.4 billion in state sales taxes.
- The meat and poultry industry’s economic ripple effect generates $864.2 billion annually to the U.S. economy, or roughly 6% of the entire GDP.
- In 2008, meat and
poultry industry sales totaled $159.6 billion,
up $9 billion from 2007.
Average Earnings of Employees in
Iowa (largest
pork-producing state) Employees in meat processing
plants on average earn more than $29,000 per
year plus benefits, and employees in meat
packing plants earn $26,400 per year plus
benefits, for jobs in rural areas with a low
cost of living.
Feeding the World
- U.S. is the third largest beef exporter in
the world behind Brazil and Australia,
exporting 897,437 metric tons in 2009 - 10% of
its beef and veal production, valued at $3.08
billion.
- On a volume basis, the top markets for U.S.
beef, accounting for 89% of beef exports, were
Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam,
Taiwan, Egypt, China/Hong Kong and
Russia.
- The U.S. is the world’s third-largest pork
producer and exporter, behind China and the EU,
with pork exports topping 1.86 million metric
tons, worth $4.33 billion in 2009.
- The U.S. exported 22.5% of total pork
production in 2009 and set new pork export
records in Mexico, Australia, Central America,
the Philippines, Taiwan, Dominican Republic and
New Zealand.
- Poultry exports
reached 3.89 million metric tons, valued at
$4.2 billion. Top three markets were
Russia, China and Mexico.
- USDA estimates that every $1 received from
agricultural exports generates another $1.48 in
supporting activities.
Fast Facts
Average Meat
Consumption in the
U.S.
American men on
average eat 6.9 oz. of meat per day and women
4.4 oz., within the Dietary Guidelines.
Americans spend less than any other
developed nation in the world on food broadly
and on meat and poultry specifically.
See chart for percent of disposable
income spent on food at home.
Percent of Diposable Income Spent on
Food at Home