The USDA’s World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates report, released on February 11, included significant adjustments to production volumes from the January report.

The February WASDE report forecast beef production for 2025 at 26.57 billion lb, up by 775 million lb from January’s report, but below 2024’s total production by 2.7%, or 424 million lb. The only quarter to indicate a year-on-year increase in production was the first quarter of 2025, which was forecast at 6.60 million lb, up by 0.6% from the corresponding period of 2024.

The significant month-on-month production increase was due to the resumption of cattle imports from Mexico and a larger-than-expected calf crop in the January Cattle on Feed report.

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