For the past couple of years, I have been hoping to update the lard consumption chart posted on the Lard Lovers home page, but the annual lard consumption data provided by the US government has not been available since 2010. When I reached to Mark Ash, agricultural economist with the USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS), he forwarded this statement put out to explain the absence of ERS updates (since 2011) to its per-capita food availability data series, which also applies to lard.
Due to the termination of select Census Bureau Current Industrial Reports (CIR) (http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/index.html), added fats and oils (except butter), durum flour, and candy and other confectionery products have been discontinued for the 2011 update of the Food Availability Data System (FADS). In addition, per capita estimates for rice have been discontinued for 2011 because of an increase in the undetermined “residual” component. These data limitations mean that certain summary estimates in the three data series in the Food Availability Data System cannot be calculated for 2011 at this time, such as the totals for the grains group and the added fats and oils group for 2011 (for example, per capita daily amounts, calories, and Food Pattern Equivalents (i.e., servings) from the grains group). Additionally, the summary estimates or totals across all food groups cannot be calculated for 2011. These data limitations also mean that ERS cannot calculate these summary estimates for food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States in 2011. USDA is currently working to resolve these data issues.
So, although it's not very scientific, I am just going to assume that the trajectory of annual lard consumption is still on the upswing....especially since more people like you are asking for it and more farmers are selling it.
Due to the termination of select Census Bureau Current Industrial Reports (CIR) (http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/cir/index.html), added fats and oils (except butter), durum flour, and candy and other confectionery products have been discontinued for the 2011 update of the Food Availability Data System (FADS). In addition, per capita estimates for rice have been discontinued for 2011 because of an increase in the undetermined “residual” component. These data limitations mean that certain summary estimates in the three data series in the Food Availability Data System cannot be calculated for 2011 at this time, such as the totals for the grains group and the added fats and oils group for 2011 (for example, per capita daily amounts, calories, and Food Pattern Equivalents (i.e., servings) from the grains group). Additionally, the summary estimates or totals across all food groups cannot be calculated for 2011. These data limitations also mean that ERS cannot calculate these summary estimates for food loss at the retail and consumer levels in the United States in 2011. USDA is currently working to resolve these data issues.
So, although it's not very scientific, I am just going to assume that the trajectory of annual lard consumption is still on the upswing....especially since more people like you are asking for it and more farmers are selling it.