Kevin Rector reported on the front page of Wednesday’s Los Angeles Times that, “In less time than it takes a farmer to plant and harvest a head of lettuce, the nation’s entire food industry has been flipped on its head by the COVID-19 pandemic. An intricate system for matching supply with demand, established over decades, has been thrown […]
The first three months of 2020 once again brought saturated conditions across Ohio. Figure 1a shows that precipitation totals for January – March 2020 range from approximately 5 inches in Lucas County up to 20 inches in parts of Franklin, Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Tuscarawas, Harrison, and Carroll Counties (blue shading). These totals are close to […]
Bloomberg writers Michael Hirtzer and Tatiana Freitas reported recently that, “Plant shutdowns are leaving the U.S. dangerously close to meat shortages as coronavirus outbreaks now spread to suppliers across the Americas. Almost a third of U.S. pork capacity is down, the first big poultry plants closed on Friday and experts are warning that domestic shortages are just weeks […]
Bloomberg writers Michael Hirtzer and Isis Almeida reported this week that, “First, it was just one plant shutting down. But now, it’s at least seven major U.S. meat facilities that have seen halts in the space of a few weeks. And all those voices previously assuring Americans that supplies would be fine now sound like a chorus […]
Bloomberg writers Stephen Joyce, Michael Hirtzer, and Jen Skerritt reported this week that, “Hundreds of National Guard personnel are being activated in Iowa as coronavirus sweeps through meat-processing plants in a state that accounts for about a third of U.S. pork supply. “Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said 250 National Guard members have been moved to full-time […]
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue today announced the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP). This new U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) program will take several actions to assist farmers, ranchers, and consumers in response to the COVID-19 national emergency. President Trump directed USDA to craft this $19 billion immediate relief program to provide critical support […]
New York Times writers Michael Corkery and David Yaffe-Bellany reported this week that, “The nation’s food supply chain is showing signs of strain, as increasing numbers of workers are falling ill with the coronavirus in meat processing plants, warehouses and grocery stores. “The spread of the virus through the food and grocery industry is expected to cause disruptions in production and distribution of certain products like pork, industry […]
The Associated Press reported this week that, “Virginia-based Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that it is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls until further notice after hundreds of employees tested positive for the coronavirus — a step the head of the company warned could hurt the nation’s meat supply. “The announcement came a day after South […]
On Thursday, the USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) released three reports that provided updated information on agricultural trade, production and recent impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak. A focus on wheat and rice, protein markets, and soybeans are included in today’s update. Wheat and Rice In its Grain: World Markets and Trade report, FAS stated that, “In the wake of COVID-19, concerns have […]
The April edition of the Market Monitor, a publication from the Agricultural Market Information System (AMIS), stated that, “Despite much uncertainty caused by the rapid spread of COVID-19, global food markets remain well balanced: cereal stocks are expected to reach their third highest level on record this season and export availabilities for all AMIS crops are more than adequate to meet the anticipated […]