Beef, Poultry & Pork Market Update

Beef:

The cattle market had a strong week. The August CME live cattle futures contract, which is the front-month, climbed over 2% to settle at $238.65 per hundredweight. Other contracts also moved higher, gaining between 3% and 5%. On the cash side, prices held steady at $244/cwt as of Thursday night.

Harvest numbers came in at 530,000 head, which is 6,000 fewer than the previous week and 12.5% lower than the same week last year. Steer weights nudged up to 1,413 pounds, making them 20 pounds heavier than last year. Beef production dipped slightly, down 1% week-over-week to 457 million pounds.

Boxed beef values were up across the board. The Choice cutout rose 3% to $407.86/cwt, and the Select cutout was up 4% to $383.60/cwt. Within the Choice category, bone-in export ribs added $1.19 to reach $12.53/lb, and boneless heavy ribeyes gained $0.63 to hit $14.08/lb. Shortloins slipped $0.27 to $7.99/lb, while striploins were nearly flat, up just a penny to $8.78/lb. Top sirloins dropped $0.27 to $6.23/lb, but tenderloins continued their upward trend, rising $1.29 to $18.37/lb.

End cuts showed strength. Chuck rolls increased $0.36 to $6.22/lb, and shoulder clods moved up $0.22 to $4.45/lb. Inside rounds gained $0.06 to $4.87/lb, and bottom round flats rose $0.14 to $4.60/lb.

Ground beef and trim markets also saw gains. 81% lean ground beef was up $0.29 to $4.09/lb. In the trim segment, 50% trim edged up $0.04 to $2.86/lb, and 90% lean trim rose $0.12 to $4.31/lb.

Looking ahead, boxed beef values are expected to stay strong with Labor Day approaching. There’s also some unexpected strength in holiday favorites like tenderloins and ribs, which are already seeing a seasonal bump.

Poultry:

Poultry harvest for the week ending August 16 came in at 171.8 million head, unchanged from the previous week and up 1.3 percent compared to the same week last year. Average bird weight was 6.59 pounds, which is heavier than last year’s 6.45-pound average. That increase in size pushed total production up 2 percent week-over-week to 860 million pounds.

Broiler placements were slightly higher. U.S. growers placed 193.9 million chicks for meat production, up marginally from the prior week and 1 percent higher than the same week last year.

Wholesale chicken prices were mixed. Whole birds moved lower, while breast meat showed some firmness. Retail ad activity was up 8 percent week-over-week.

In the whole bird and WOG segment, the National Composite dropped $0.02 to $1.18 per pound. In foodservice, WOGs in the 2.5 to 3.5-pound range were down $0.02 to $1.12 per pound. The under 2.5-pound category slipped $0.01 to $1.42 per pound, and the over 3.5-pound birds fell $0.05 to $1.04 per pound.

White meat pricing was mixed. Boneless, skinless breasts rose $0.04 to $2.02 per pound and are now up 9 percent month-over-month and year-over-year. Tenderloins eased $0.02 to $2.59 per pound.

Wing prices dipped $0.01 to $1.72 per pound. Despite the weekly decline, wings are up 6.5 percent month-over-month but remain down 29 percent year-over-year and 10 percent below the five-year average. Drumsticks were also lower, settling at $0.56 per pound.

Boneless, skinless thigh meat dropped $0.04 to $1.94 per pound. It’s down 4 percent month-over-month but up 4.6 percent year-over-year and 18 percent above the five-year average. Bone-in thighs held steady at $0.88 per pound.

In the turkey segment, boneless turkey breasts gained 5 percent, while whole bone-in turkeys were flat week-over-week.

The egg market saw some softness. The USDA’s large eggshell index declined 9 percent week-over-week and is now down nearly 29 percent year-over-year.

Looking ahead, chicken harvest volumes have been stable over the past month and are tracking closely with last year. The seasonal slowdown in chicken demand appears to be leveling off. However, new tariff issues could pressure export sales through year-end, potentially leading to further market weakness.

Turkey prices were mixed, with whole birds trending lower and boneless breasts holding steady. The USDA large eggshell index dropped 20% week-over-week and is now down nearly 10% year-over-year.

Looking ahead, chicken harvest volumes remain consistent with last year. While seasonal price pressure is easing, export uncertainty tied to tariffs may weigh on the market through year-end.

Pork:

Lean hog prices were mixed last week. The October CME futures contract, which is the nearest on the board, rose 1 percent to $89.82 per hundredweight. Most other contract months were up around 2 percent. On the cash side, spot hogs were slightly lower, closing Thursday night at $109.05 per hundredweight.

Harvest volumes increased 2.9 percent week-over-week to 2.42 million head, but were still down 3.9 percent compared to the same week last year. Total pork production came in at 507 million pounds. Export activity dipped slightly, with 608 truckloads sold internationally last week.

The pork cutout value was down 1 percent to $112.60 per hundredweight at Thursday’s close. Primal values were mixed, with notable strength in the butt and rib sections.

The loin primal rose 4 percent to $99.35 per hundredweight. Boneless pork loins eased $0.01 to $1.31 per pound, while loin and baby back ribs held steady at $2.76 per pound. Tenderloins were down $0.04 to $1.96 per pound.

The pork butt primal climbed 4 percent to $121.35 per hundredweight. Bone-in pork butts were up $0.09 to $1.35 per pound, and boneless butts gained $0.02 to $1.51 per pound. A total of 197 loads of pork butts were sold to export markets last week, helping support prices.

The rib primal jumped 7 percent to $166.05 per hundredweight. Medium spareribs were up $0.11 to $1.81 per pound.

The belly and trim segments moved lower. The belly primal dropped 7 percent to $182.10 per hundredweight. The derind 13/17 belly subprimal was sharply lower by $0.17 to $2.18 per pound. In the trim category, 42 percent trim fell $0.04 to $1.26 per pound, and 72 percent trim was down $0.16 to $1.15 per pound.

The ham primal saw the steepest decline, falling 14 percent to $103.47 per hundredweight.

Looking ahead, cash hog prices are trending lower. The pork cutout is expected to be mixed to weaker in the near term, with a more pronounced drop likely next month. This outlook is being shaped by ongoing uncertainty around tariffs and fluctuating export demand.

Bacon:

Belly prices are beginning to ease off their seasonal highs as the pork market enters a transitional phase in late August. This week’s trends reflect softening primal values, shifting demand signals, and ongoing supply complexity. Hog harvest volumes showed a week-over-week increase, marking the first time slaughter has topped 2.4 million head since June. While this signals a seasonal recovery, volumes are still trailing last year’s levels.

Pork belly prices cooled this week following their recent peak. Both primal and derind belly values moved lower, driven by increased production and a slowdown in foodservice demand as summer winds down. Despite the weekly decline, belly prices remain significantly higher than year-ago levels.

Retail bacon pricing continues to hold firm, supported by strong consumer demand and tight cold storage inventories. However, futures markets are beginning to show a bearish tone, and policy developments—particularly around tariffs—are adding uncertainty to the outlook.

Looking ahead, the market is expected to continue easing into the fall. Supply-side improvements and seasonal demand shifts are likely to reshape pricing dynamics in the near term.