INDUSTRY OUTLOOK Banking on MOMENTUM Another banner year for meat and poultry processors isn't guaranteed as stakeholders focus on key indicators BY S T E V E K AY | m e a t p o u l t r y @ s o s l a n d.c o m B 28 MEAT+ POULTRY | 01.19 | www.meatpoultry.com question was: "How can we possibly top this?" Astonishingly, beef processors did in 2018 and pork processors had another strong year despite the impact of tariffs levied on US pork exports by major markets Mexico and China. It would take a bold leap to suggest these results could be repeated again this year. But pork profits could be even better this year if the tariffs get removed. Beef processors will continue to have ample supplies of fed cattle to process and this year might provide even more record earnings for the third year in a row. This will require, however, continued strong @ chayakorn lotongkum - stock.adobe.com arring a major disease outbreak that causes a human health crisis, chicken won't be toppled this year from its longtime perch as the most consumed protein in America. That's because the US will produce 54 percent more chicken than beef or pork. That is small solace to chicken processors who last year saw their chicken profits plummet from prior years because of strong competition from beef and pork. All three proteins in 2017 reported record profits, at least for publicly-traded companies, and as this author wrote a year ago, thehttp://www.meatpoultry.com