COVID-19 crisis may reduce meat consumption
The US meat industry could witness a change in consumption habits in the domestic market due to the coronavirus crisis and supply shortage, according to a USDA estimate.
With meat products becoming scarce on the shelves and more and more expensive, consumers may look to other foods, warns USDA. According to the officials from the Department, that means a drop in consumption of 4.5 kilos per person as the beef, pork, and poultry production is falling due to sector adjustments "to COVID-19 and economic uncertainty". According to data collected from the American market, at least 52 meat plant workers have died and more than 13,000 employees have tested positive for COVID-19 and processing capacities are down by at least 30%. "The 2020 projections changed a lot this month, with sharp reductions in production for all of the meat type. I assume that reflects, at least in part, the closures and slowdowns at meatpacking plants," commented Patrick Westhoff, head of the FAPRI think tank at the University of Missouri.
Per capita meat consumption will fall to 98.4 kg this year, ending a five-year rise in consumption, said the USDA report. Last year, per capita meat consumption in the US was 101.6 kilos. Two years ago, the US was ranked No.1 in a top of meat consuming countries, with more 99 kg consumed yearly by every person.
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