CHARLESTON, WV (WVNS) — The National Agricultural Statistics Service along with the West Virginia Department of Agriculture announced the 2022 commercial red meat statistics for the state on Monday, January 23, 2023.

Commercial red meat production is the carcass weight after slaughter including beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton. The production during December 2022 totaled 900,000 pounds. This figure is down ten percent from the 2021 production statistics. Individual commodity production is total live weight of commercial slaughter

Commercial cattle slaughter totaled 1,263,000 pounds live weight, down 14 percent from December 2021. Cattle slaughter totaled 1,200 head, down 300 head from the previous year. The average live weight was up 26 pounds from the previous year, at 1,039 pounds.

Commercial hog slaughter totaled 172,000 pounds live weight, up 20 percent from last year. Hog slaughter totaled 600 head, up 200 head from the previous year. The average live weight was down 47 pounds from the previous year, at 287 pounds.

Commercial red meat production for the United States totaled 4.47 billion pounds in December, down 7 percent from the 4.78 billion pounds produced in December 2021. For more West Virginia statistics for 2022 visit USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service West Virginia website.