CoBank

Meat Plant Closures Tighten Supplies for Retailers, Increase Prices for Consumers

May 6, 2020 CoBank

The reduction of meat processing capacity caused by U.S. plant closures and slowdowns has created a massive bottleneck in the nation’s meat and livestock supply chain. Nearly two dozen plants that process beef and pork products closed in April due to the COVID-19 outbreak, while many others have had to slow their production as a result of the disease. …

Increased Demand for Dark Chicken Meat Creating New Opportunities

November 4, 2019 CoBank

Evolving U.S. demographics are shifting consumer preferences from white meat chicken to dark meat, presenting the chicken industry with an opportunity to diversify its profit centers. Advances in mechanical deboning technology have allowed U.S. chicken producers to capture the emerging demand for dark meat while addressing the ever-present labor shortage, according to a new report from CoBank’s Knowledge Exchange division. …