Regional and plant-size impacts of COVID-19 on beef processing

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2022-Schulz-RegionalPlantsize.pdf (871.09 KB)

Date

2022-04

Authors

Bina, Justin D.
Tonsor, Glynn T.
Schulz, Lee
Hahn, William F.

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Authors

Schulz, Lee

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Organizational Units

Economics

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Department

Economics

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. consumers witnessed changes in the volume and type of meat products available at retail and food service markets. Simultaneously, widening farm-to-wholesale price spreads fueled calls for industry change and several related policy proposals. The objective of this study is to document fed cattle slaughter and evaluate the structure and performance of the beef processing industry during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. For major beef-producing regions, the 2019–2020 change in federally inspected U.S. cattle slaughter volumes varied in isolated instances with regional reliance on larger processing facilities. Implications of this are discussed both for current policy and industry discussions, as well as to encourage additional future research.

Comments

This article is published as Bina, Justin D., Glynn T. Tonsor, Lee L. Schulz, and William F. Hahn. "Regional and Plant-Size Impacts of COVID-19 on Beef Processing." Food Policy 108 (2022): 102247. doi:10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102247. Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.