Broiler consumption had been increasing by 4 percent a year, every year, until this year. Chicken demand is expected to increase only 2 percent, Brown said. Current projections show domestic beef demand to exceed 4 percent this year. Total meat consumption per person is projected to reach 218.7 pounds on a retail weight basis this year, Brown said. That s an increase over last year's record level of 218.2 pounds per person.
Poultry makes up the largest single component, followed by beef.
Chicken prices have not seen the kind of increases in retail prices that the beef and pork industries have experienced so far this year, Brown said. Pork demand, which turned around its demand picture years ahead of the beef demand, continues steady to strong demand growth , with a 3 percent increase projected for the year. Strong consumer demand for pork has resulted in higher prices at the grocery meat case. Pork producers appear to have helped themselves with aggressive promotion, Brown said. Through advertising, they established their product as the other white meat.