Cattle Slaughter and Inventory

Figure 1 shows weekly cattle slaughter by federally inspected plants since 2018. Over this period, cattle slaughter has largely remained between 600,000 and 700,000 head per week. The weekly slaughter value occasionally falls below 600,000; this typically occurs during the holiday season. One decrease in cattle slaughter, occurring around May 2020 as a result of the pandemic, stands out due to ...