U.S. pig meat production totaled 1.88 billion pounds, up 6 percent from 2011 numbers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's latest report. The number was down from January, which came in at 1.99 billion pounds.
Hog slaughter totaled 9.04 million head, up 6 percent from February 2011, and the average live weight was up 1 pound, at 278 pounds. So far, Iowa has slaughtered the largest number of hogs, at 2.37 million head. North Carolina (942,900 head), Minnesota (878,000 head), Illinois (858,400 head) and Indiana (686,200 head) round out the top five producers.
Overall, commercial meat production (which includes pig meat, beef, veal, lamb and mutton) came in at 3.91 billion pounds for February, up from February 2011's 3.81 billion pounds but down from January's 4.12 billion pounds. Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas make up the top three producing states, at 572.4 million pounds, 532.1 million pounds and 398.1 million pounds, respectively.
