This was to be a great year for the industry of US beef. It was not until the end of February of animal protein a cattle analyst USDA has estimated the production of meat and poultry elbow red record as economic growth and low unemployment rate of demand. Then came COVID-19 by the end of April, the pandemic, the economic and agricultural landscape so drastically that Tyson Foods, one of the largest meat producer America, warned in an advertisement in the New York full page Times warned that the “breaking of the food chain.” American farms have changed as before with the animals packed increases for meat production. The problem is that the virus is increasingly difficult to slice it, these animals have in store-ready packages of pork chops or ground beef. This is because Tyson and many other meat processing companies across the country have stopped operations in a number of plants where workers tested positive for COVID-19 According to the weekly report of the USDA April 27 was the production of meat beef by almost 25% over the previous year, and during the production of pork decreased by 15%. In an effort to curb the problem, signed Minister Donald Trump to hold an executive order on April 28, the meat target processing plants in operation. But many say Trump contract will be unlikely that the risk COVID-19 poses of working Americans to eliminate meat and, by extension, the food supply. And ‘difficult, after all, working from a highly contagious virus confined to protect a processing plant in common. At least 20 meat packers have already died of COVID-19 and more than 5,000 have been show to the hospital or symptoms, according to the union United Food and Commercial Workers. meat processing companies say they are trying to find ways to keep workers safe. “We have been working temperature is the projection that need protection and face additional conductors cleaning and sanitation,” said a spokesman for Tyson. “We also have measures of social distancing, as a working partition and break room space will be implemented.” However, experts warn that buyers should prepare for more expensive meat, less varied and be more difficult in the coming weeks and even months using. Here’s what you need to know before your next trip to the supermarket. It is updated here with our daily newsletter crown. There is lack of meat? How long the bottlenecks? In the coming weeks, the grocery stores have a smaller variety of meat, and a total of less meat. Glynn Tonsor, a professor at Kansas State University Department of Agricultural Economics says that if you could find meat on your next purchase timing come – if “you come in five minutes after the trucks were unloaded, so to speak, compared to 12 hours after which was “discharged, he says. Tonsor think that the problem until June begins to improve, meat processing plants find ways to use COVID-19 worldwide. But some of the meat supply may be expenses for a year or more, warns David Anderson, professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Texas A & M University. This is because of meat processing plants may struggle to keep the production line moving as sick workers. “I think the average buyer is going to notice,” says Anderson. “I suspect that consumers are aware that to see in the flesh the case in his shop, there will be as much as normal, or how it is used. You will see parts of the meat case where there is less there, you will see parts of the case of meat, probably where they spread the product – it is full look. ” Could meat products become more expensive? More likely. We price of meat can see the rest of the year, at least, says Anderson. “Produced in view of the animals, we got a lot of supplies, huge inventories,” he says. “The bottleneck in the packaging and processing. What this means higher prices for consumers.” Tonsor is said that some more of their food customers can find budget to spend than usual meat, or they may find too expensive together. But some business, he says, can not pass on higher costs to consumers, in order to come and create incentives to spend money other assets. It could also soften subject to a price system increases the impact over time. However, some consumers are likely to be forced to explore cheaper alternatives sources of protein, such as beans or tofu, also mainly lived like millions of Americans, including the continued economic slowdown in the job. What are the meat products they could be interested? The products made from meat beliebtestenen such as ground beef and bacon, are especially likely to rise in price, says Tonsor. But the price of the least popular items, such as the language, can not go up much. Matter which passes through specific stages (flavoring), or produced in special facilities (such as organic meat and grass-fed) are treated as may also be more susceptible to price, says increases. Some meat may become more expensive faster than others. The pigs faster cattle are raised, for example, making it easier to adjust their production levels. Also: Get ready for your spices and rubs. “I expect seasoned wing to be more difficult than normal level of boneless chicken breast to put your hands,” said Tonsor. The situation could improve the executive order of President Trump? While the executive order of the President of Trump motivate meat processing plants to remain in operation, even if that is actually possible to come to the workers, not management. If workers become ill or are concerned enough about their safety, they do not want to go back, it will not matter whether to open plants back or not. “These are skilled jobs,” said Tonsor. “You can not just overnight Workers A worker with B. Replace” that workers for the improvement of unemployment existed in the middle of 19-COVID crisis could also factor may be entitled in their thinking, says Dermot Hayes, a pioneer professorship in Agribusiness at Iowa State University. “No one knows how to answer a request, the workers go to work to come. Until someone tries to reopen a plant and get it happen, we can not really say,” says Hayes. “It will be a tension between the owners of the equipment must be used, and they want to be made redundant.” Why set this contract in place? Trump executive order just shows how economically and politically important meat in America. “I think only confirmed this announcement, the importance of a well functioning, running meat and breeding system in America,” said Tonsor. He points out that meat helps the market for forage, pillows banks in rural areas to fuel taxes and property, the fund programs such as K-through-12 education. Meat also has great symbolic value, with many Americans, says Joshua Specht, author of Red Meat Republic: a hoof to the table History How Beef changed America and visiting assistant history professor at the University of Notre Dame. Its rarity or absence, he says, would have sent another signal that COVID-19 is to make the life of the mind as we know it. “If the things that leave us as staples – even if it’s for survival is not absolutely necessary, as the flesh – if we have no access to, people will be very disturbed,” said Specht. “If there are bottlenecks, they resonate. As for the executive order, which is basically a recognition that this could have the kind of thing that serious political consequences. And if you want to convince the public that the pandemic is under control, do not want a kind of thing that they experience very direct. “Specht says it is interested in seeing an increasing political pressure, meat processing plants, as well as workers fall ill and die to reopen relations. must keep such workers as little political power, limited access to health care and similar services often, and often work to stay financially afloat, he says. But he adds that to keep it reasonably safe ways your virus affected plants in at least partial operation. “If [the workers] distribute more, the options are the low line speed – that means reducing the production – or force workers to remain more and more difficult,” he says. “And it is that another way, it is no easy answers here. It ‘going to have to give you something to do in this system.” Please send any suggestions, cables and [email protected] stories.
COVID-19 meat shortage could for months. Here’s what to know before your next shopping trip for groceries
