A descriptive analysis of the COVID‐19 impacts on U.S. pork, turkey, and egg markets

Abstract

The novel coronavirus SARS‐CoV2 (COVID‐19) severely disrupted the U.S. food supply chain. In its initial aftermath, and as we contemplate a potential reignition, the food supply chain industries, researchers, and policy makers search for evidence, causes, and consequences. This article uses publicly available data on the pork and egg industries and a survey of the turkey industry as a first step to document the impact of COVID‐19. Researchers can learn from the experiences in industries where disruptions evolve differently in the face of simultaneous supply‐ and demand‐side shocks and that stem from differences in structures of the supply chains. This early evidence is used to motivate future research needs and highlight opportunities for industry investments in resiliency strategies.

Zoonotic diseases and the COVID-19 pandemic: Economic impacts on Somaliland's livestock exports to Saudi Arabia

“…Around 46 million turkeys are consumed each Thanksgiving, with another 22 million turkeys on Christmas and 19 million turkeys on Easter ( University of Illinois Extension, 2020 ). A recent study by Hayes et al (2020) indicated that U.S. turkey industry, despite being vertically integrated with a modest number of producers who own most of the supply chain, has been disrupted during the COVID-19 outbreak primarily from the demand side, as consumption switched from food away from home to food at home. The closure of much of the U.S. food service sector—that is, restaurants, school lunch programs, and cafeterias—had a severe impact on U.S. turkey producers ( Hayes et al, 2020 ).…”

“…A recent study by Hayes et al (2020) indicated that U.S. turkey industry, despite being vertically integrated with a modest number of producers who own most of the supply chain, has been disrupted during the COVID-19 outbreak primarily from the demand side, as consumption switched from food away from home to food at home. The closure of much of the U.S. food service sector—that is, restaurants, school lunch programs, and cafeterias—had a severe impact on U.S. turkey producers ( Hayes et al, 2020 ). The authors conducted a survey on turkey companies in late April 2020, showing important monetary losses (around US$20 million/month losses for the turkey industry), especially for the retail sector (food at home).…”

Causal Impacts of Epidemics and Pandemics on Food Supply Chains: A Systematic Review

“…Some documents focus on certain products or supply chains (e.g., agricultural products; such as grains [26,27], cereals [28], oilseeds [26], fruits [29], dairy [30,31], and fresh foods in general [7,8,11]. Other documents address the seafood SC [32,33], aquaculture sector [34,35], food and beverages [36], beef [37,38], pork meat [39,40], poultry industry [41], and eggs [39].…”

The Canadian pork industry and COVID‐19: A year of resilience

“…Lusk et al (2021) discussed the price difference at farm and wholesale levels on the US pork supply chain. Hayes et al (2021) provided details on how the US pork industry responds to processing plant closures such as slowing animal growth, increasing stocking densities, and adding more facilities.…”

“…Hayes et al. (2021) provided details on how the US pork industry responds to processing plant closures such as slowing animal growth, increasing stocking densities, and adding more facilities.…”