According to economists David Anderson (Texas A&M) and Charley Martinez (University of Tennessee), U.S. beef and pork producers are increasing output despite significant reductions in herd sizes. In the beef sector, production per animal rose to 724 pounds in 2024, up from 629 pounds in 2000. This growth occurred even as the national cattle herd shrank to its smallest size since 1961, highlighting how producers have leaned on improved genetics, feeding efficiency, and slaughter weights to maintain output.

"Increasing beef production per cow has come, largely, from increased weights," the economists noted. Dressed weights for both steers and heifers have climbed steadily, while calving rates have remained largely unchanged over the last 25 years. These changes suggest that technological and management innovations are more responsible for productivity gains than increases in birth rates.

Pork production tells a similar story, but with even more dramatic gains. Since 2000, output per sow has jumped 52%-from 3,041 to 4,635 pounds. This surge is primarily due to improvements in reproduction. Litter sizes have increased from 8.8 to 11.8 pigs, and litters per sow per year have grown from 1.8 to about 1.94. These figures reflect advances in breeding, genetics, and overall herd management, all contributing to more efficient pork production with fewer animals.

However, not all livestock sectors are seeing gains. Lamb production continues to decline, with output per ewe falling from 57 pounds in 2000 to 48 pounds in 2024. The economists partly attribute this drop to shifts in consumer preferences. The emergence of a non-traditional market-driven by smaller-scale buyers and ethnic demand-favors smaller carcasses, limiting the incentive to increase per-animal yield.

This divergence highlights how market structure and consumer demand influence productivity trends. While beef and pork industries benefit from economies of scale and consolidated infrastructure, the lamb sector remains more fragmented and less adaptable to intensive production models.

Overall, these developments underscore how U.S. livestock producers are leveraging innovation to do more with less. Despite herd declines, they are achieving higher yields through better genetics, precision feeding, and enhanced management practices. These trends carry important implications for commodity prices, input costs, and USDA policy, especially as agriculture faces growing pressure to balance productivity with sustainability.