Animal Products

• Finding

  Productivity Gains Increase U.S. Commercial Pork Production

  Commercial pork production in the United States increased 174 percent from 1977 to 2012 from slaughtering more and bigger hogs. Public and private research and development during the period led to efficiency gains that have altered the structure of the pork industry.
  March 04, 2013 | by Kenneth Mathews, Keithly Jones, and Rachel Johnson

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• Feature

  Long-Term Prospects for Agriculture Reflect Growing Demand for Food, Fiber, and Fuel

  Growing food demand in developing countries, rising biofuel demand, and slowing agricultural productivity gains have put upward pressure on farm-commodity prices over the past decade. According to USDA’s annual baseline projections, these and other factors will continue to influence prospects for U.S. and world agriculture over the next decade.
  September 20, 2012 | by Paul Westcott and Ronald Trostle

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• Finding

  Market Potential for U.S. Distillers’ Grains Exceeds Likely Supply Growth

  U.S. production of distillers’ grains (DGs) has quadrupled since 2004/05. For the foreseeable future, however, potential feed use of DGs in the U.S. will significantly exceed projected supply.
  December 01, 2011 | by Linwood Hoffman and Erik Dohlman

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• Statistic

  On the Map: Demand for U.S. Edible Pork Byproduct Exports Is High

  U.S. pork byproduct exports totaled $700 million in 2010, almost 15 percent of the total value of U.S. pork exports.
  December 01, 2011 | by Daniel Marti

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• Finding

  Beef Cow-Calf Production a Lifestyle Choice Among Many Farmers

  The beef cow-calf industry is characterized by a large number of small farms on which beef cattle production is a secondary source of farm household income. This suggests that beef cow-calf production as a lifestyle choice is at least as important as earning a profit on many farms.
  June 16, 2011 | by William McBride and Kenneth Mathews

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• Statistic

  In the Long Run: Fewer cows but more milk through 2020

  After a 4-year increase during 2005-08, milk cow numbers fell in 2009 and 2010 and are projected to continue year-to-year declines in 2012-20.
  June 16, 2011 | by Donald Blayney and Roger Hoskin

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