If the numbers were from the 90s the excuse is invalid. Compare this
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/jun/15/more-than-20-million-farm-animals-die-on-way-to-abattoir-in-us-every-year : "Approximately 20 million chickens, 330,000 pigs and 166,000 cattle are dead on arrival, or soon...