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Supply Disruption and Upcoming Food Shortages

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As if the health risk of COVID-19 virus and the economic calamity taking place in this country wasn’t enough, now, we have headlines across all media platforms stating we are at risk of coming food shortages. These food shortages are primarily from meat processing and packaging plants that are closing across the United States. These closures are due to virus outbreaks within the workforce of these facilities which threatens to contaminate the food supply. As of this writing, between 15-25% of pork production has been eliminated.


Smithfield Foods CEO Ken Sullivan said the following after closing the Sioux Falls plant indefinitely:

“The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply,” he said. “It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running.”

 

John Tyson, Chairman of the Board of Tyson Foods, wrote the following in a letter published in the New York Times this past Sunday:

“As pork, beef and chicken plants are being forced to close, even for short periods of time, millions of pounds of meat will disappear from the supply chain. As a result, there will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed.” 

Millions of animals —chickens, pigs and cattle— will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities,” Tyson writes. “The food supply chain is breaking.”

 

What Do We Do Now?

There is no suggestion that food will be completely unavailable in grocery stores or mass starvations will occur. No – not even close. Will there be further repercussions in other areas of food supply chains? Unknown at this point. The appropriate response is to do what we do – stock up.

Purchasing, vacuum sealing, and storing as much meat as your freezer will hold will ensure the ability to grill up some burgers and throw down some protein in between supply chain interruptions. Putting back beans, rice, pasta, and canned goods just makes sense. I am in the middle of putting together an article on putting back a year’s supply of food while on a budget. Stay tuned.

Need a food vacuum sealer? – – -> Click Here

Prep now. Worry less.

Rourke

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21 Comments

  1. JBernDrApt says:

    Thanks for this, and looking forward to the article on putting back a years supply of food. Placed a couple extra orders this weekend to put back additional meat and protein. Let’s get ahead of the curve!
    – Keep Looking Up

    Reply
  2. John P says:

    John, went to Lowe’s today for a new freezer, sorry we are out of stock on them, call Wensday’s and Friday’s after 12 noon to see if any have in. So now we are having a shortage of freezers so the shortage of meat is a mute point I guess. I will look at canned meats till freezers are again available localy.

    Reply
  3. Vicki Thoma says:

    I saw this coming about 3 weeks ago. The freezer is stacked to the top. The freezer in the fridge is stacked. I even bought a mew 1.2 cu ft counter freezer and it is full. Canned goods under the couches and bed. Not to mention 2 cabinets full of long term storage food. I stuffed the medicine closet (yes, I have a closet full of medical supplies), and one last order coming today. I always stock masks (seasonal allergies and wild fire smoke), nitrel gloves, yup. I make sanitizing wipes and restocked the supplies to do that in February. Also laid in snacks and small candy bars. Individual size packages of assorted chips. Trail mixes, instant oatmeal, potatoes, and Macaroni and cheese. I may die of boredomm, but at least I won’t starve.

    Reply
  4. John Gault says:

    While I haven’t had to dig into my stocks beyond normal rotations I’ve seen shortages at the grocery stores. Chicken and pork mostly, and a spike in beef prices. Farms are having labor issues with a reduced migrant workforce so expect shortages to expand into the fruit & vegetable markets as well.

    Reply
  6. SingleMom says:

    I never have done a lot of fresh meat, although I’m far from vegetarian, but our stores haven’t been restocking well at all. I have the family grabbing canned goods every time they see them, but my mother (who is also the only one among us who has the money to place a decent grocery order) is still refusing to cooperate. She got 2 cans of tuna the other day and told me she didn’t get any more canned meats because she doesn’t think it’s going to be a problem. “Mum. If I’m right, we’ll be able to eat next winter. If I’m wrong, the prices will still have gone up so we’ll be farther ahead to buy it now.” Then she told me not to waste my food stores on her if a shortage really develops! I swear that dealing with her is worse than a teenager any day.

    Reply
    1. Vicki Thoma says:

      I’m sorry. I am running up against friends and relatives like that too. Some say “don’t worry, the Government will take care of us.” That can’t seem to grasp that the Government is responsible for here we are now!

      Reply
  7. Brad Pittman says:

    Well I must say the shortage of meats does not surprise me in the least. I expect it to get much worse before it gets better. However, I am surprised at the lack of discussion on canning meat. This is how I process all the deer that I kill and we have done this with a tremendous amount of pork, chicken, and beef. Canned meat will keep for many years without fear of going bad. This is very easy to do and there is no concern of losing all your stash via an extended power outage. Also, canned meat is already fully cooked. There are so many advantages of canned over frozen meat. If you ever decide to can meat, I cannot recommend highly enough the All-American brand of pressure canner. Very expensive canner, but worth every penny.

    Reply
  8. Arlene says:

    Thanks Rourke . Please e mail me your address as I wish to mail you something. Years ago I purchased dehydrated and freeze dried meats from Emergency essentials- imagine they are also back logged on orders now.
    Also check with your local butchers and farmers for meat.
    Last week when we were leaving the grocery store a couple asked does this store have any meat ? They were ahead of the game. I will be stocking up tomorrow on some meat and canned meats . Other good sources of protein are lentils and peanut butter.
    Keep prepping and praying. Arlene

    Reply
  10. Arlene says:

    Just got home from meat shopping and the local grocery store had a decent supply but the guy working in the meat dept. said they have been VERY busy. I hope to do one more meat shopping this week and then we should be ok for a long while as we do not eat a lot of meat anymore.
    I can understand the food chain supply being interrupted due to the meat slaughter houses being closed and that farmers cannot keep animals indefinitely .However I do not understand why potatoes and tomatoes ( Florida farmer) cannot get their products to market, If anyone has a better understanding of this I would appreciate some insight. Thanks. Arlene

    Reply
    1. 3rdMan says:

      It’s what is called a supply chain disconnect. The supply that goes to wholesalers in packaged differently and there is a packaging shortage on the other side that serves the grocery stores. So, while there is supply there is no way to repackage it for resale. For example eggs shipped to wholesalers maybe in a container of 100 plus already mixed eggs. So, if those eggs are shifted to the other side for the grocery store, they are finding there is a shortage of egg cartons for examples.

      Reply
    2. Vicki Thoma says:

      A lot of those vegetable products go to restaurants, schools, hospitals, and other large institutions. The demand is gone. Also, some of the vegetable processing and packaging plants are also closed.

      Reply
    3. SingleMom says:

      I’m with you, Arlene. I understand the whole packaging thing, but why can’t places start thinking outside the box? So Walmart gets a 50-lb. carton of chicken legs. Why can’t their deli repackage those for resale? Pile the eggs in plastic cookie containers? These aren’t normal times, so someone needs to use their imagination and get the supply chain working at least partially.

      My mother shops at a small-town corner store. They’ve decided to violate the whole “not packaged for resale” labeling and have been selling toilet paper by the roll, one per customer. They haven’t jacked up the prices; they’re just making sure that people have access to what they need. We need more stores doing things like that to get us through this mess.

      Reply
      1. Vicki Thoma says:

        Sorry, USDA rules. Could they be changed, yes. Are they going to be, probably not.Anyone who repackages food, must have a special license. Not just a food handlers permit.

        Reply
  11. Arlene says:

    THanks everyone. We always teach one another new things on your exc. site Rourke !!
    Just heard that the President is insisting that the meat plants stay open- not sure if that is such a great idea with the incredibly high numbers of those workers that were infected .My concern is that in several months there will be bigger shortages so
    all we can each do is prepare now. Arlene

    Reply
    1. SingleMom says:

      I’m just going to stop posting and let you write for me! I haven’t been able to get the family to understand that I’m not concerned about food right now, but what happens in a few months when the current processed food is all gone and there’s nothing to replace it because of what’s being destroyed? The shortages in recent months were simply due to people stocking up. Before too long, it’s going to be because there really isn’t any food available to the stores. On a good note, a relative has volunteered to till my garden for me next week, weather cooperating!

      Reply
      1. Arlene says:

        Please keep posting Single Mom I really enjoy your posts !! I am very happy that someone will be tilling a garden space for you. A neighbor just shared that she could not find any butter nut squash seeds anywhere so I shared our package with her. I agree that the food issue will be more prominent in several months.
        Meanwhile we can plant our gardens. Arlene

        Reply
  12. Arlene says:

    How is everyone doing with the corona ordinances and the meat rationing.Here in upstate NY the stores have begun to ration meat -one package each of chicken, pork and beef ( a one lb limit for beef) per family per shopping trip.
    We are getting prepared for an intense cold snap with 3 inches of snow tomorrow pm.
    I just hope the emerging apple buds stay closed so we do not lose our fall apple crop.
    I hope you are all well and appreciated today being National Day of Pray.Arlene

    Reply

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