COVID-19 Effects on the Ranch Industry
If you’ve gone to the grocery store lately, you might have noticed the shelves in the beef department are bare. The pandemic the world is facing in 2020 has caused normally healthy ranch operations to struggle due to sick workers and lower prices for livestock.
Ranches are still operating and raising livestock. That’s not the problem. The real issue is coronavirus circulating the plants that process the meat. According to the CDC, there were more than 5,000 cases of coronavirus throughout the 115 meat and poultry processing plants in the month of April. Working in close conditions, like those of processing plants, also increases the possibility of spreading the virus.
With the plants closed, some ranchers have had to euthanize some of their livestock and poultry or just take much less money than what they are worth to survive.
According to the National Cattleman’s Association, the cattle industry could lose as much as $13 billion this year. That’s not only a loss to ranchers and farmers, but for consumers, who consumed 27.3 billion pounds of beef in 2019.
The good news is that many states are reopening their economies and that means many plants are reopening as well.
Here’s to hoping that beef is back on the shelves… and on our plates very soon!
As the leader in ranchland sales across the U.S., United Country Real Estate supports our farmers and ranchers nationwide. If you’re looking to get an appraisal on your current operation to sell or looking to expand your operation once things open back up, contact one of our ranch experts near you. Locate an office and view all current properties for sale at www.UnitedCountry.com .
Sources:
https://www.cnet.com/health/is-there-really-a-meat-shortage-why-youre-seeing-less-beef-pork-and-chicken-in-stores/
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/15/fourth-generation-cattle-rancher-its-just-become-a-survival-game.html