Net placements were 1.92 million. The inventory included 5.74 million steers and steer calves, up 7 percent from the previous year. This group accounts for 60 percent of the total inventory. Heifers and heifer calves accounted for 3.80 million head, up 8 percent from 1999. This was 2 percent higher than the previous record high set in 1998.
Red meat includes beef, veal, pork, and lamb and mutton.
Red meat production in commercial plants totaled 46.1 billion pounds. Beef production , at 26.5 billion pounds, was up 3 percent from a year earlier and 2 percent higher than the previous record high set in 1976. Pork production , at 19.3 billion pounds, eclipsed the previous record high set a year earlier by 2 percent. Commercial cattle slaughter during 1999 totaled 36.1 million head, up 2 percent from 1998, with federal inspection comprising 98.2 percent of the total. The average live weight was 1,210 pounds, up 7 pounds from a year ago.