Improving the Merchandising Value of Beef and Pork
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abstract
The consist of bovine and porcine animals in the US harvest supply has changed dramatically in the past three decades. For both species, average live weight at harvest had steadily progressed from the 1950's tp the 1980's--but, it accelerated in the last 30 years. The average beef carcass weighed 575 pounds in 1975 and 830 pounds in 2016. Live barrows weighed about 170 pounds in the 1950's; they average more that 320 pounds in 2016. The retail and foodservice sectors are having significant difficulty in merchandising products from these carcasses. The focus of this project will be on the current situation in the beef sector at foodservice and retail. Interviews with foodservice and retail leaders plus data collection in retail stores will provide the material for further discussions with all sectors of the beef industry. The overall goal will be to provide a potential pathway for meeting the quality demands of the consumer.
