The latest US Cold Storage numbers reported pork stocks at 455.8 million pounds for April, jumping +11.3% or 46.3m pounds from March which was revised -3.0% lower from 422.3m to 409.5m pounds. Compared to a year earlier, the latest pork stocks were down -8.7% or 43.5m pounds lower as most pork categories fell below year-ago levels. Current year-to-date stocks are down 188.4m pounds or -10.0% lower compared to the same period in 2024.
Total ham stocks surged 25.6m pounds in April in a move considered seasonal, with the boneless variety rising 18.0m pounds and the bone-in up 7.6m pounds. Overall, total hams in cold storage were down 7.1m pounds or -7.5% compared to a year earlier which brought them +0.8% or 2.5m pounds over last YTD. The category accounting for Other Pork jumped 10.7m pounds or +28.9% higher on the month, bringing them 4.1m or -7.9% under a year earlier and -19.1% or 37.9m pounds under last YTD. Bellies in cold storage rose 5.0m or +9.2% pounds in April but were 17.1m pounds or -22.3% under supplies recorded for last year and -26.3% or 73.0m pounds under last year-to-date. Spare-ribs increased 2.3m pounds or +2.5% on the month, up 982 thousand pounds or +1.1% compared to a year earlier but 1.7m pounds or -0.5% under last YTD. Trimmings were up 1.3m pounds or +2.8% higher from March, bringing trimmings -2.4% or 1.1m pounds under last year and -0.9% or 1.7m pounds under last YTD. Increases to categories such as unclassified pork and bone-in picnics were up more moderately on the month, though compared to year-ago levels unclassified pork was -13.0% or 5.7m pounds lower and bone-in picnics were up +18.0% or 1.0m pounds compared to April 2024.
Only loins and butts recorded lower stocks from March into April. Total loins declined 499 thousand pounds or -1.3% from March, with bone-ins down 1.6m pounds but the boneless variety up 1.1m pounds, with overall loins falling -4.8% or 1.9m pounds compared to a year earlier and -12.8% or 20.9m pounds lower than last YTD. Butts edged -0.7% or 128 thousand pounds on the month, bringing them -12.9% or 2.6m pounds under last year and -4.7% or 3.8m lower compared to last YTD.
