On February 17th 2026 the USDA-Economic Research Service released updated production and consumption data with respect to broilers and turkeys, covering actual 2024, a projection for 2025 and a forecast for 2026.
The revised 2025 projection for broiler production is for 48,003 million lbs. (21.770 million metric tons) up 2.1 percent from 2024. USDA projected per capita consumption of 102.9 lbs. (45.7 kg.) for 2025, up 1.8 percent from 2024. Exports will attain 6,660 million lbs. (3.020 million metric tons), 0.3 percent below the previous year.
The 2026 USDA forecast for broiler production will be 48,500 million lbs. (21.996 million metric tons) up 1.0 percent from 2025 with per capita consumption up 0.9 percent to 103.8 lbs. (46.6 kg). Exports will be 1.5 percent higher compared to 2025 at 6,670 million lbs. (3.025 million metric tons), equivalent to 13.8 percent of production.
Production values for the broiler and turkey segments of the U.S. poultry meat industry are tabulated below:-
|
Parameter
|
2024
(actual)
|
2025
(projection)
|
2026
(forecast)
|
Difference
2024 to 2025
|
|
Broilers
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production (million lbs.)
|
46,994
|
48,003
|
48,500
|
+2.1
|
|
Consumption (lbs. per capita)
|
101.1
|
102.9
|
103.8
|
+1.8
|
|
Exports (million lbs.)
|
6,680
|
6,660
|
6,670
|
-0.3
|
|
Proportion of production (%)
|
14.2
|
13.9
|
13.8
|
-2.1
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Turkeys
|
|
|
|
|
|
Production (million lbs.)
|
5,121
|
4,844
|
4,965
|
-5.4
|
|
Consumption (lbs. per capita)
|
13.8
|
13.2
|
13.4
|
-4.5
|
|
Exports (million lbs.)
|
486
|
417
|
400
|
-14.1
|
|
Proportion of production (%)
|
9.5
|
8.6
|
8.1
|
-9.5
|
Source: Livestock, Dairy and Poultry Outlook released Feb 17th 2026
The February 17th USDA report updated the projection for the turkey industry during 2025 including annual production of 4,844 million lbs. (2.197 million metric tons), down 5.4 percent from 2024. Consumption in 2025 is projected to be 13.2 lbs. (6.0kg.) per capita, down by 4.3 percent from the previous year. Export volume will attain 417 million lbs. (189,116 metric tons) in 2025. Values for production and consumption of RTC turkey in 2025 and 2026 are considered to be realistic, given year to date data, the prevailing economy, variable weekly poult placements, trends in production levels, losses from HPAI and inventories consistent with season.
The 2026 forecast for turkey production is 4,965 million lbs. (2.251 million metric tons) up an optimistic 2.5 percent from 2025 with per capita consumption up 1.5 percent to 13.4 lbs. (6.1 kg). Exports will be 4.1 percent lower than in 2025 to 400 million lbs. (181,406 metric tons) equivalent to 8.0 percent of production. This implies a reduction in selling prices for whole birds and products
Export projections do not allow for a breakdown in trade relations with existing major partners including Mexico, Canada and China nor the impact of catastrophic diseases including HPAI and vvND in either the U.S. or importing nations