Meat and Poultry Production to Slow Despite 2022’s Robust Profits, CoBank Says

Jan 03, 2023

Despite "tectonic shifts" in consumer eating habits, record high feed costs, labor shortages and supply chain logjams, CoBank says most U.S. animal protein industry segments have posted phenomenal financial performance over the past three years. However, CoBank Knowledge Exchange’s latest quarterly report says this broad-based era of profitability will likely come to an end in 2023.

"On the supply side, the high costs of feed, labor and construction support the prevailing cautionary mood toward expanding production. On the demand side, consumers are reeling from rapidly declining real wages – a trend likely to continue well into 2023," says Brian Earnest, lead economist, animal protein at CoBank. "Add in climate uncertainties, ESG pressures and increasing labor and energy costs and it’s likely that 2023 will be a year when major market participants pause, reflect and guard balance sheets."

Over the past two years, consumer red meat demand has remained steadfast despite the highest inflation in more than 40 years. CoBank notes the following observations in its report:

Click here to see more...

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.