food availability

As a commercial farmer, a few thoughts:

Meat: The country has more than adequate meat animals. The problem is not a few packer plants have shut down due to a lack of viable healthy workers. This has created a backlog of market ready animals on the farm. Its not a supply problem but a demand problem.

Grains: The country is awash with corn and beans. The prices farmers receive for these commodities is so low that is an absolute loss every time a farmer sells a bushel. There definitely isn't a supply problem.

Vegetables: Any shortages are most likely the result of a distribution interruption. I just checked with a seed supplier, and there is plenty of seed available. One needs to get away from the huge conglomerates to find readily available produce.

Correct.

Plants can’t get people back to work. From COVID restrictions to stimulus checks disincentivizing work to many many thousands now simply deciding they aren’t working real labor jobs anymore, we have an impending food issue.

My brother is in the wholesale food business and we discuss this frequently. A large national wings chain is on the cusp of closing locations because they cannot find chicken wings in some regions. Nobody is saying much because of panic buying.

But the animals needed and the grains? Aplenty.

Edit to include link to story (4/30): https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/america-is-running-low-on-chicken-blame-covid-19-a-sandwich-craze-and-huge-appetite-for-wings/ar-BB1gcqVF?ocid=uxbndlbing