Total pounds of veal produced decreased 20 percent. Cattle slaughter in the Empire State totaled 63,200 head during 2000, down 4 percent from a year earlier and 27 percent below 1998. Sheep and lamb slaughter totaled 25,500 head in 2000, down 7 percent from 1999 and 15 percent below 1998. New York establishments slaughtered 41,300 hogs during 2000, down 21 percent from a year earlier, and 22 percent below 1998. Red meat production for the United States totaled 46.3 billion pounds in 2000, slightly higher than the previous record high set in 1999.
Red meat includes beef, veal, pork, lamb and mutton in commercial plants and on farms.
Beef production was 26.9 billion pounds, up 1 percent from a year earlier to a new record high. Veal production totaled 225 million pounds, down 3 percent from the previous record low set last year. Pork production, at 19.0 billion pounds, was down 2 percent from the previous record high set a year earlier. Nationally, commercial cattle slaughter during 2000 totaled 36.2 million head, up less than 1 percent from 1999. Calf slaughter totaled 1.13 million head, down 12 percent from a year ago.