Cattle Market Outlook: U.S. Red Meat Production Declines as Auctions Gain Ground

U.S. red meat production moved lower in 2025, with beef leading the decline.

Dr. Josh Maples at Mississippi State University said total red meat output fell about 2 percent from 2024, with beef production down 3.6 percent and pork off 0.8 percent.

Cattle slaughter showed the sharper shift. Commercial cattle slaughter totaled 29.8 million head, down 6 percent from the previous year. Average live weight rose by 33 pounds, helping offset some of the production loss.

Those heavier cattle have become an important part of the supply story. Average live weights are now 67 pounds above 2023 levels, indicating that larger carcass weights are making up for some of the herd contraction.

The slaughter mix also changed, but not in a way that signals herd rebuilding. Steers made up 49.7 percent of federally inspected cattle slaughter, heifers 31.7 percent, and cull cows 17 percent, down from 17.8 percent in 2024.

Cold storage numbers support the tighter beef picture. Red meat inventories were down 2 percent from a year earlier, with beef down 3 percent and pork up 2 percent.

As production continues to see drops, cattle auctions are hotter than ever. This week, Superior Livestock auctioned 25,000 cattle at their event in Hudson Oaks, Texas, on Thursday.

Livestock Representative and Auctioneer Ralph Wade with Superior Livestock joined Tony St. James from the auction floor on Thursday’s Market Day Report with an update on the event and the current state of the fed cattle market.