Predicting primal weight and primal yield in pork carcasses from a large‐scale survey at major meat processing centers in Japan

Pork primal weight and primal yield are important indicators for pig breeding, feeding management, commercial distribution systems, and meat processing. Here, we aimed to determine whether primal weight and primal yield could be predicted through non‐destructive measurements of pork carcass traits. A total of 4397 carcasses (1958 gilts and 2439 barrows) from eight major meat processing centers were used, and the mean primal weight and primal yield were 56.0 kg and 73.9%, respectively. Significant sex differences were observed for all primal and carcass traits (P