Current Cattle Markets Daily Headlines : Monday Evening May 4, 2020

Mackenzie Johnston

6 years ago

Kroger is limiting ground beef and pork purchases in some stores

A slowdown and closures in meat processing plants from the coronavirus pandemic has caused a new wave of panic shopping. Some grocery stores are now imposing limits on meat purchases to prevent empty meat cases.
Kroger, America’s largest supermarket chain, is adding purchase limits on ground beef and fresh pork in some stores.
As of last Tuesday, 20 meatpacking and food processing workers have died so far due to Covid-19.
Meat sales have increased by 40% in recent weeks, according to data shared by grocery industry trade group FMI.
Grocers aren’t expecting meat shortages, however, they are adjusting to the spike in demand and the difficulties securing supply.
The largest grocer in the US, Walmart is not expecting it will have to set product limits on meat. Instead, they are focusing on supplying the most-commonly bought meat products.
Smaller chain grocers are also being affected by the slowdown. In New York City, grocery chain Morton Williams’ co-owner Av Kaner said, “the most severe shortages have been with packaged cold cuts” because consumers are looking for pre-packaged items instead of meat from the deli counter. “Beef prices have increased the most, followed less so by pork and poultry,” Kaner said.

The JBS plant in Worthington, MN is scheduled to reopen on Wednesday after it was shut down due to a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases last month.
The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 663 said JBS will open the “kill side” of the plant on Wednesday after an executive order from President Trump that mandated meatpacking and poultry plants to reopen or remain open during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Social distancing will be enforced in the plant and in the common areas along with “frequent and thorough disinfecting” and daily communication with plant personnel.
Over the past week while the plant was shut down, nearly the entire plant was cleaned “floor to ceiling.” Eighty touchless sanitizer dispensers and 30 touchless water faucets were installed throughout the plant to ensure worker safety.