The U.S. per-capita beef supply may drop to 57.6 pounds per year in 2011, the smallest in 59 years, according to Centennial, Colorado-based researcher CattleFax. The supply of pork available to each U.S. consumer will slump to 46.8 pounds annually, the least in 35 years.
Per-capita beef and pork supply (and consumption) is at multi-decade lows? And Americans are now the size of most pigs at slaughter? WTF???!!! (I guess Atkins had it right.)
How do you like that...
BTW... those meat consumption numbers are going to keep dropping unless folks start raising livestock at home. Its a closed system as far as inputs (animal feeds) and then there are the limitations on breeding (especially for beef - a hog will have 2 litters of 8 per year but a cow will usually have but 1 calf per year and farmers NEED to keep the heifers long enough to drop more calves) and economics.
It won't be long before poor folks figure out how how to raise a hog in the yard or alley and chickens on the fire escape fed on food waste that used to go to the dump especially when SNAP (food stamps) is about $750 per month for a family of 4.
And that's a good thing.