The late timing of Easter this year is having an impact on meat sales.
Easter is considered the third-biggest meat holiday behind Christmas and Thanksgiving. The holiday is three weeks later than last year, which is impacting year-over-year data.
While dollar sales grew due to inflation, pounds purchased dropped by more than 4%. That was driven by processed meat declines, which include smoked ham.
While March was negatively impacted by the holiday’s late timing, April sales are expected to receive a boost.
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The USDA NASS report also confirms lower August placements.
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