American slaughterhouses processed nearly a million fewer cattle, hogs, and sheep in the past week than they did during the same time a year ago, marking a new low that experts say will likely increase “spot” shortages of meat at some grocery stores, reports USA Today.
Meanwhile, legal experts said President Trump’s executive order Tuesday declaring meat packing plants are “critical” to keep open will do little on its own to stop the slide in meat production brought on by the spread of the coronavirus among meatpackers.
Even so, most Americans will still be able to buy meat. Steve Meyer, an economist for Kerns & Associates in Iowa, said panic buying will only exacerbate shortages.
