According to data released on April 22, 2020, by the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), Agricultural Statistics Board and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the amount of frozen red meat and poultry in cold storage was at the same amount from 2019 if not higher. The stocks do show a decline from the previous month.

Total frozen poultry supplies on March 31, 2020 were up 4 percent from the previous month but down 2 percent from a year ago. Total stocks of chicken were down slightly from the previous month but up 6 percent from last year. Total pounds of turkey in freezers were up 14 percent from last month but down 17 percent from March 31, 2019.

Total red meat supplies in freezers were down 2 percent from the previous month but up 7 percent from last year. Total pounds of beef in freezers were up 2 percent from the previous month and up 11 percent from last year. Frozen pork supplies were down 4 percent from the previous month but up 2 percent from last year. Stocks of pork bellies were up 6 percent from last month and up 34 percent from last year.

For more information about the latest cold storage report, download the PDF at https://downloads.usda.library.cornell.edu/usda-esmis/files/pg15bd892/1r66jm331/qb98n127b/cost0420.pdf.

Source: USDA/NASS