NEWS RELEASE
United States Department of Agriculture
National Agricultural Statistics Service
South Dakota Field Office ? Sioux Falls, SD

Media contact:  South Dakota Office, 605/323-6500
Email:  nass-sd@nass.usda.gov



RED MEAT PRODUCTION UP SLIGHTLY 

SIOUX FALLS, June 23, 2006 -- Commercial red meat production for South Dakota totaled 76.6 million pounds during May.  
This was up from 76.4 million pounds last year and up 8 percent from last month.  For May, pork production was down 
from one year ago, while sheep and lamb production was up, according to the South Dakota office of USDA’s 
National Agricultural Statistics Service.

Commercial hog slaughter for South Dakota totaled 351,800 head during May compared to 361,000 head the year before.  
Average live weight was 267 pounds, which was up 4 pounds from May 2005.

Commercial sheep and lamb slaughter for South Dakota totaled 1,100 head during May, unchanged from a year earlier.  
Average live weight was 153 pounds, which was up 32 pounds from May 2005.

Commercial slaughter data for cattle is not published.

Access this complete report at:
 http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/livestock/pls-bb/2006/lstk0606.pdf