If attendance growth at the Annual Meat Conference (AMC) is any indication, demand for meat and poultry products sold in grocery stores and other channels is strong indeed, said Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO of the Meat Institute. The institute and FMI – The Food Industry Association host AMC, which will be held in Orlando March 24-26.

“We’re trending way ahead on attendance,” Potts said in mid-January. “We’re up 45% from where we were last year at this time.”

A lot of that has to do with the programming expected for AMC ’25. But it’s also a testament to the strength of demand for fresh meat and poultry products in the nation’s grocery stores. “People are still driven to put meat and poultry in their baskets,” she said. “It’s taste, it’s quality and the ability to understand the nutrition components. People want to feed their families something high in protein.”

The Power of Meat 2024 report, unveiled at last year’s show, showed that meat and poultry products are in 98% of US households, and Potts doesn’t see that changing.

“People love to eat what we produce.”

Prices are still high on a number of meat and poultry products, as with food in general, but Potts believes the industry has weathered the worst of the inflationary forces. And she is optimistic that the Trump Administration’s expected focus on deregulation could further help bring prices down.

Through the end of 2024, fresh meat sales were up 6.7% and volumes were up 3.2%, said Elizabeth Smith, associate director of market research for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

“Beef sales and volumes remained robust through the close of the year,” she said.

Chicken and pork were also up in sales and volume, she added, while meat alternatives continue to experience double-digit declines.

Beef accounts for 55% of the value of retail fresh meat sales, followed by chicken (27%), pork (12%), turkey (4%) and other (2%), Smith said.

And in terms of grocery volumes, beef makes up 36%, behind just chicken (38%). Pork accounts for 16% of volumes, turkey 8% and other 1%.

Considering retail fresh beef specifically, ground beef represents 36% of beef sales in dollars, and nearly half the volume of retail beef sold. In 2024, ground beef sales value was $14.5 billion, up 24.1% compared to three years ago.

Steaks represent 35% of the value of beef sales and 23% of volume. In 2024 the total sales value of beef steaks was $14.1 billion, up 7.8% compared to three years ago.

Affordable options 

With the USDA forecasting an almost 1.5% increase in the chicken supply this year, consumers can be confident that they will continue to find adequate availability of a wide range of wholesome chicken products both fresh and frozen, fully cooked and raw, said Tom Super, spokesperson for the National Chicken Council.

And, even with more and more built-in convenience, products will be affordable, especially when compared with competing proteins.

Coarsely-ground chicken, for instance, is on track to gain more market share as food shoppers seek help with their meat budgets, better nutritional values, and ease-of-preparation.

And while foodservice may be returning to pre-pandemic traffic counts, many consumers who enjoy chicken products from their favorite local quick-service/casual-dining restaurants are now finding many of these branded products at their supermarkets.

Another trend to keep an eye on in 2025: Chicken is gaining in the breakfast daypart. Breakfast has traditionally been a challenge for chicken, but ever-widening offerings of chicken sausages and chicken combined with another protein are appealing to breakfast fans who opt for tasty, seasoned sausages lower in fat and calories, Super said.

“It all adds up to record chicken consumption this year,” he predicted.

USDA foresees chicken per capita consumption in 2025 reaching over 104 pounds. Some analysts report this record level of eating may be even a bit higher, Super said, especially if ongoing food inflation continues to bite into consumers’ budgets.

A record-setting AMC ‘25

Well before people started arriving in Orlando in March for the Annual Meat Conference (AMC), the show was breaking the record for most attendees.

One event that is expected to be even more successful than last year’s standing room only luncheon is the Women’s Meat Industry Network meeting, which this year will be limited by ticketing and a cap on attendance.

Other highlights of this year, with comments by Potts include:

The Power of Meat report release, an annual highlight, led by 210 Analytics’ Anne-Marie Roerink. “We’re celebrating 20 years of the Power of Meat, which has become such a huge draw. Anne-Marie will show that demand is strong and people are looking for new, jazzier ways help consumers cook. We’ve seen trends in more convenience,  more cooking at home and high demand.”

NPR political editor Ron Elving, returning to AMC after a several years’ hiatus. “Everyone in the industry is paying close attention to how quickly the transition (to the Trump Administration) will change the face of the economy, and Ron will give us the lay of the land.”

Getting the message out. “We’ll also have programming about how to talk about our products. Our board of directors is always interested in the latest messages about our products, and retailers are the front line. We want to make sure we’re arming our members with the best ways to showcase benefits of meat and poultry — nutrient density, taste, quality, food safety.”

Live fabrication. Last year’s show features a live fabrication of Angus beef. This year’s show will include a fabrication of pork. “It was so popular last year, standing room only. It will help attendees see new creative ways to sell their products.”

Kelly McDonald, marketing and customer experience expert. “She will look at trends that we’re all dealing with and how to into them, tips and tricks to think differently. To go where consumers are heading, to get ahead of trends instead of playing catchup.”