What do boxed beef and pork cutout prices measure?

They measure the wholesale value of a beef or pork carcass, expressed in dollars per hundredweight, along with the value of each primal cut such as rib, chuck, round and loin.

Who publishes these prices and how often?

The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes them daily under Livestock Mandatory Reporting, with the series on this page running from May 2001.

What is the difference between Choice and Select cutout?

Choice and Select are USDA quality grades based on marbling. Choice carcasses carry more marbling and trade at a premium; the Choice-Select spread widens when demand for higher grades rises.

Why is the cutout value watched?

It is the wholesale price that sits between the cattle or hog market and the retail meat counter, so it leads retail meat prices in the CPI by several weeks.

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US Boxed Beef and Pork Cutout Prices

Name: US Boxed Beef and Pork Cutout Prices
Creator: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR Datamart)
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Weekly wholesale values of beef and pork at the packing plant, reported under the federal Livestock Mandatory Reporting program of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service.

Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR Datamart)Last updated: Sep 22, 2026, 21:48Curated by Bui Thanh PhucAbout this data ↓

Indicator	18-09-2026	11-09-2026	04-09-2026	31-08-2026	28-08-2026	21-08-2026	14-08-2026	07-08-2026	31-07-2026	24-07-2026	17-07-2026	10-07-2026	03-07-2026	02-07-2026	26-06-2026	19-06-2026	12-06-2026	05-06-2026	29-05-2026	22-05-2026	15-05-2026	08-05-2026	01-05-2026	24-04-2026	17-04-2026	10-04-2026	03-04-2026	27-03-2026	20-03-2026	13-03-2026	06-03-2026
Boxed beef cutout (600-900 lb carcasses)2
Choice cutout value7	374.26	378.16	377.49		383.39	388.27	373.24	366.51	362.81	364.92	371.21	383.39	390.73	390.73	396.53	395.48	392.71	393.62	392.85	392.65	389.47	389.77	389.03	384.89	381.95	382.48	392.28	394.71	401.63	395.54	386.41
Choice rib primal	642.86	645.59	637.67		620.26	626.56	600.41	586.64	569.58	554.68	547.84	560.43	580.04	580.04	593.72	588.68	574.61	556.7	542.33	538.47	530.28	537.8	529.59	523.83	528.75	527.29	550.71	553.99	565.17	547.18	532.04
Choice chuck primal	322.46	327.2	327.73		332.49	335.26	321.3	315.84	315.86	319.43	322.67	334.23	335.74	335.74	339.17	338.46	334.45	336.8	334.87	338.27	332.97	327.81	329.23	322.91	318.69	321.41	329.84	332.05	340.33	338.67	331.18
Choice round primal	303.6	312.7	309.96		320.55	327.93	315.4	310.42	308.24	310.09	317.55	324.69	330.94	330.94	333.62	331.4	330.79	333.91	334.59	333.88	331.54	329.82	330.08	324.41	321.31	322.98	330.42	336.81	348.92	352.2	350.06
Choice loin primal	465.55	462.07	464.41		471.48	475.32	454.56	443.42	437.64	444.92	459.15	482.16	494.8	494.8	505.94	507.27	506.81	511.85	514.12	514.24	513.55	518.34	517.09	516.05	512.87	514.44	525.73	528.24	531.31	519.65	506.22
Choice brisket primal	316.95	326.84	327.5		348.82	351.86	344.61	336.3	330.19	329.22	329.52	335.19	345.51	345.51	346.17	343.67	345.07	349.15	358.32	350.8	348.25	355.57	355.56	357.4	351.2	344.23	347.66	336.93	336.65	323.78	310.21
Choice short plate primal	244.74	249.08	250.21		263.65	267.35	263.44	262.96	264.6	269.63	284.25	290.3	291.46	291.46	294.1	294.5	296.51	301.29	307.21	304.43	307.78	309.99	311.33	310.43	305	300.89	305.44	306.34	304.7	294.85	282.41
Choice flank primal	168.81	171.83	173.9		191.79	205.7	203.77	215.14	219.46	233.81	244.55	248.26	247.91	247.91	248.99	250.33	251.45	250.04	248.04	246.06	242.34	237.03	233.49	229.01	223.28	218.2	220.34	217.73	216.64	202.78	194.07
Select cutout value7	354.13	353.23	355.82		363.39	363.96	350.18	348.23	343.73	351.14	359.95	365.33	370.74	370.74	376.22	375.47	375.34	383.61	387.09	389.12	389.92	388.38	387.77	384.56	379.42	383.98	390.09	393.07	394.56	388.4	379.34
Select rib primal	532.65	522.56	522.14		509.59	511.86	499.59	504.44	490.03	497.04	502.16	496.58	509.47	509.47	501.51	494.51	483.02	522.69	526.6	530.58	549.28	528.07	526.47	523.39	504.21	540.27	549.64	546.41	540.57	526.15	504.27
Select chuck primal	324.01	324.64	327.77		334.88	337.43	318.68	316.18	312.09	320.59	330.15	333.67	335.68	335.68	341.46	339.33	338.56	335.89	337.46	342.01	336.48	329.96	332.6	328.17	327.35	326.17	333.41	337.53	342.95	338.06	335.82
Select round primal	308.87	309.89	313.85		320.08	323.97	316.47	313.91	310.42	318.13	321.89	326.57	331.83	331.83	335.99	335.47	331.12	333.08	332.47	332.17	330.49	332.44	330.39	326.75	322.8	325.96	333.5	348.1	357.54	356.72	353.1
Select loin primal	422.99	416.76	421.16		432.14	423.5	404.21	399.8	395.37	402.14	417.29	432.65	439.46	439.46	454.09	459.51	469.31	485.72	494.1	498.36	501.35	512.29	508.15	504.5	501.75	505.04	508.58	505.93	502.86	494.61	478.71
Select brisket primal	315.51	328.05	321.46		352.4	348.84	333.99	324.48	318.13	325.03	328.45	327.63	336.42	336.42	344.23	339.91	342	349	358.25	352.4	350.27	351.79	354.65	357.07	343.97	341.62	344.79	339.21	323.51	320.82	309.55
Select short plate primal	244.74	249.08	250.21		263.65	267.35	263.44	262.96	264.6	269.63	284.25	290.3	291.46	291.46	294.1	294.5	296.51	301.29	307.21	304.43	307.78	309.99	311.33	310.43	305	300.89	305.44	306.34	304.7	294.85	282.41
Select flank primal	166.24	173.36	177.46		197.91	210.68	209.82	217.33	225.4	232.37	236.18	244.43	250.64	250.64	252.51	247.2	248.77	246.57	247.78	244.09	241.6	236.16	232.83	232.32	226.1	220.08	219.54	209.07	208.73	199.88	191.83
Boxed beef negotiated sales volume4
Choice cuts	336.75	280.96	320.3		337.43	321.46	292.7	309.17	336.37	378.4	415.7	351.22	274.58	274.58	315.63	321.86	393.65	351.57	291.31	325.6	364.59	381.79	346.36	341.63	333.55	408.53	344.61	335.99	278.32	290.08	283.21
Select cuts	52.86	54.16	56.78		66.08	67.81	85.74	80.11	80.82	71.64	57.84	71.37	57.62	57.62	54.86	55.19	74.36	51.99	41.19	47.63	51.06	42.98	32.03	28.22	39.33	32.08	39.87	40.96	37.36	28.82	37.1
Trimmings	41.54	54.48	130.18		36.79	42.02	39.26	38.81	50.6	58.03	43.73	45.95	30.67	30.67	43.22	33.88	25.7	38.5	36.24	38.17	46.41	49.17	33.83	39.23	42.01	67.98	47.51	52.69	33.96	34.66	51.22
Coarse grinds	73.75	54.01	70.16		71.78	55.34	68.97	63.69	78.73	102.13	67.54	55.71	38.23	38.23	47.6	52.53	54.16	62.58	49.86	59.78	55.72	73.1	70.54	59.41	51.44	73.29	56.26	58.56	55	41.33	45.36
Pork cutout (FOB plant, negotiated sales)1
Pork carcass cutout value6	87.63	91.77	95.03	96.6	96.6	97.98	100.45	100.51	102.36	104.11	102.21	98.49		96.23	95.16	95.59	96.45	99.63	98.94	96.52	96.53	96.32	97.81	99.1	97.75	97.97	97.11	96.98	99.28	99.86	98.62
Loin primal	87.17	88.65	89.73	90.92	90.92	92.71	93.26	91.63	91.17	90.76	90.76	90.5		92.45	93.7	93.8	93.34	95.02	94.6	92.6	91.04	90.14	89.62	90.62	89.39	90.37	91.18	91.13	92.1	92.91	92.74
Butt primal	110.37	113.05	114.64	114.77	114.77	113.53	113.79	113.94	113.98	113.28	114.4	116.82		119.81	120.91	123.92	128.54	145.45	150.85	148.31	141.59	134.14	130.28	122	115.86	115.81	117	116.83	116.4	115.92	115.79
Picnic primal	69.49	67.09	65.87	65.19	65.19	66.25	69.18	69.96	72.89	71.1	70.84	70.29		72.56	72.01	77.71	77.64	78.84	78.43	74.17	73.42	71.65	71.08	72.52	72.39	75.7	76.78	77.8	75.59	73.23	71.67
Rib primal	155.39	158.8	163.34	162.05	162.05	158.82	156.16	159.73	162.15	165.72	169.42	174.84		183	181.16	177.16	176.22	179.29	185.56	184.74	180.47	177.15	175.67	174.14	168.5	166.44	164.71	160.61	158.23	157.34	156.62
Ham primal	84.28	79.07	73.02	73.07	73.07	77.51	81.56	82.41	93.7	103.37	100.74	94.89		86.06	81.87	76.81	82.43	86.25	83.57	80.34	79.76	80.33	82.57	89.93	88.09	80.03	73.76	72.36	80.59	83.74	82.18
Belly primal	90.32	120.63	146.9	155.6	155.6	156.3	163.9	163.25	155.09	152.98	143.39	128.39		117.95	117.35	122.98	118.68	116.72	112.22	111.67	121.56	127.73	136.03	136.06	138.91	149.51	150.22	153.69	156.84	155.62	152.9

Latest reading

Choice cutout value stood at 374.26 USD per hundredweight in Sep 18, 2026. That is −1.0% from Sep 11, 2026 and −3.9% from a year earlier. The series on this page is weekly and runs from Jan 9, 2004 to Sep 18, 2026. Source: USDA Agricultural Marketing Service - Livestock Mandatory Reporting (LMR Datamart).

Latest: 374.26 USD per hundredweight; Sep 18, 2026
vs previous period: −1.0%; Sep 11, 2026
vs a year earlier: −3.9%

Look up any date

Pick a date between Apr 6, 2001 and Sep 18, 2026 to see every series in this table on that day. If there is no reading that day (weekend, holiday, or a weekly release), the last reading before it is shown.

About this data

Weekly wholesale values of beef and pork at the packing plant, reported under the federal Livestock Mandatory Reporting program of the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. The boxed beef cutout is the estimated value of a 600-900 lb steer or heifer carcass sold as boxed cuts, for Choice and Select grades (weekly simple average, from late 2004), with the seven composite primal values that make it up and the weekly volume of negotiated sales in truckloads (from April 2001). The pork cutout (FOB plant, negotiated sales, from April 2013) is shown with its loin, butt, picnic, rib, ham and belly primals. Prices are in dollars per hundredweight (100 lb). Wholesale cutout values lead retail meat prices in the CPI by several months. Each point is dated on the Friday the weekly report is issued. Source: USDA AMS.

Frequently asked questions

What do boxed beef and pork cutout prices measure?: They measure the wholesale value of a beef or pork carcass, expressed in dollars per hundredweight, along with the value of each primal cut such as rib, chuck, round and loin.
Who publishes these prices and how often?: The USDA Agricultural Marketing Service publishes them daily under Livestock Mandatory Reporting, with the series on this page running from May 2001.
What is the difference between Choice and Select cutout?: Choice and Select are USDA quality grades based on marbling. Choice carcasses carry more marbling and trade at a premium; the Choice-Select spread widens when demand for higher grades rises.
Why is the cutout value watched?: It is the wholesale price that sits between the cattle or hog market and the retail meat counter, so it leads retail meat prices in the CPI by several weeks.