Is the US heading towards a meat shortage?

Written by on May 28, 2020

Many Americans are currently paying more than ever for beef and other meats, due to a spike in meat prices caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the next coming months, however, some experts predict the US could experience further shortages of meat. Some market analysts even predict that supermarkets could see their supply of meat fall by a third.

Despite trying to introduce social distancing measures, three of the largest meatpacking companies in the US have reported their cases of COVID-19 infections quadrupled in the past month.

As the meatpacking facilities are running with a lower capacity, less meat is able to be packaged and prepared, causing a significant delay in their supply chain and causing less meat to arrive in supermarkets.

The US is not alone in this issue, as Europe is currently battling potential meat shortages due to an outbreak of COVID-19 cases in slaughterhouses in Germany, Ireland, and the UK.

This will no doubt be sad and potentially troubling news to many US citizens, as many Americans see Memorial Day as the start of barbecue season and use the upcoming summer months to experiment with fun and new ways to cook and prepare meat.

 

Sources:

Washington Post

Politico


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