American's are eating less red meat than they were a decade ago.
The USDA reports a drop of 7.2 pounds consumed per person per year from 2006.
The department says the biggest factor in the decrease is due to tighter domestic supplies of beef in 2016.
Monthly retail choice beef prices in the U.S. are down from a year ago by an average of 28 cents a pound.
The USDA points out pork and poultry prices have followed the same trend.
They feel increased year-over-year beef production, along with pressure from lowered pork and poultry prices, could lead to 2017 retail beef prices which are noticeably lower than those of the last two years.
The department also notes while U.S. beef exports are up 8 per cent from a year, shipments to Canada are down by 22 per cent.
