The United States Meat Industry at a Glance
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Feeding 307 Million Americans
The meat and poultry industry is the largest
segment of U.S. agriculture. Total meat and
poultry production in 2010 reached more than
92.1 billion pounds, up 1.2 billion pounds from
2009.
In 2009, the meat and poultry industry
processed:
8.7 billion
chickens
33.3 million cattle
246
million turkeys
2.2 million sheep and lambs
113.6 million hogs
In 2009, American meat companies
produced:
26 billion pounds of
beef
23 billion pounds of pork
5.7
billion pounds of turkey
309 million pounds
of veal, lamb and mutton
36 billion pounds
of chicken
Top Livestock and Poultry
Slaughtering States
Cattle -
Nebraska, Kansas, Texas
Hog - Iowa, North
Carolina, Minnesota
Chicken - Georgia,
Arkansas, Alabama
Turkey - Minnesota, North
Carolina, Arkansas
There are 6,278 federally inspected meat and
poultry slaughtering and processing plants in
the U.S.
Feeding Us Essential Nutrients
- The 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 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 2009, meat and poultry industry sales
totaled $154.8 billion.
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
- The U.S. exported 1.07 million metric tons
(MT*) of beef and beef variety meat in 2010, up
19% from 2009. Export value of beef and beef
variety meat exports reached a record $4.08
billion in 2010, up 32% from 2009 and broke the
2003 record of $3.144 billion.
- On a volume and value basis, the top three
markets for U.S. beef in 2010 were Mexico,
Canada and Japan. Records were also set in
Taiwan, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Caribbean,
Central-South America regions, Canada and the
Middle East.
- The U.S. exported 1.92 million MT of pork
and pork variety meat in 2010, up 3% from 2009.
Annual total pork shipments were valued at
$4.78 billion, up 12% from 2009.
- The top markets for U.S. pork in terms of
volume were Mexico, Japan and China/Hong Kong,
but in terms of value were Japan, Mexico and
Canada.
- The U.S. exported 3.7 million MT of poultry
and poultry variety meats in 2010, down 4.4%
from 2009. The value was down slightly .42% at
$4.25 billion.
- Exports in 2010 accounted for 18.9 percent
of U.S. pork production, 19.8 percent of
poultry production and 9 percent of beef
production.
*1 MT = 2204.6 lbs
Fast Facts
Average Meat
Consumption in the
U.S.
American men on
average eat 6.9 oz. of meat per day and women
eat 4.4 oz.
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