Dan’s Cow-Calf Corner Meat Production Threatened with Disruption

Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension Livestock Marketing Specialist — The U.S. meat industry faces unprecedented threats as COVID-19 sweeps through labor forces at meat processing facilities nationwide. Production of beef, pork and poultry are simultaneously threatened as COVID-19 infections affect labor availability and processing capacity in multiple facilities across all meat industries. Reduced processing capacity could cause backups in live animal supplies if animals cannot be processed in a timely fashion. The severity of impacts will depend on specific situations and locations but could include costly delays in holding animals until slaughter, backlogs in production facilities, or even…

You must be logged in to view this content. Click here to subscribe