The Michigan Farm Bureau is predicting the state will see a meat shortage in the coming weeks because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Across the country, roughly one quarter of meat processing facilities have been closed down due to the coronavirus. The Trump Administration on April 28th orderedthose plants to stay open.
Dale Finnerty is a cattle farmer in Isabella County. He said two of the processors he takes cattle to have closed down - and even with Trump’s order it will take time for them to open back up.
“It’s going to affect us,” he said. “Right now we’re losing $250 a head because of the price drop in demand. And then as they get bigger I lose another hundred dollars.”
If his cattle get too big Finnerty said processors start penalizing him for every one hundred extra pounds over one thousand pounds.
“We have local butchers in this area but we won’t be able to butcher enough cattle to keep our yard current.”
It is also not clear whether employees of processing centers will feel safe returning to work.
A spokesperson for a local United Food and Commercial Workers did not respond to our request for comment.
Ernie Birchmeier with the Michigan Farm Bureau said Michigan processors have, so far, seen only moderate supply chain disruptions
“I believe we are in a much better position at this time than some of our counterparts across the midwest. Because our processing facilities are still operating or are back to operating. We are in a better position than some of our counterparts across the country.”
Birchmeier said there is no evidence that COVID-19 could travel on meat.
He said part of the problem is that demand is down - and packaging is different for grocery stores as opposed to restaurants.
“It’s processed in different tight packages and in a different manner than what it is for the retail grocery stores. All of this is part of the compounding issues we’re having to deal with as we go through these challenges from COVID-19.”
Birchmeier said before the pandemic, some 51% of meals were eaten outside of the house - so the pandemic has required an adjustment of how to package food.
He said he hopes customers will be patient and understanding if there is a period where they don’t find what they are looking for on grocery shelves.