Latest News From John Nalivka

"The concept of sustainability that will be tested the next few years concerns economic security. Our U.S. public debt has become unsustainable, an issue that must be addressed."

Some operational changes made by the packing and processing centers are likely to remain after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, leaving some higher costs in the supply-chain.

Plant closings and slowdowns are major symptoms of the meat and poultry industries’ disruption due to COVID-19 and product distribution and livestock production are also critical to a smoothly running supply chain.

The unprecedented events surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic have led to a severe economic downturn and will impact livestock markets going forward.

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed consumer behavior and the U.S. economy. The effects are unprecedented and it is difficult to determine how long the impact will last.

Does the beef industry need additional packer slaughter capacity? Recent history suggests cattle prices were highest when packing capacity utilization was lowest, but the answer is complex.

Over the past five years carcasses grading Choice represent 82% of slaughter, and carcass weights are also on a steady trend higher which is a cautionary sign for cattle feeders.

USDA’s annual Cattle report revealed slightly lower cattle numbers, but the decline was not as large as some analysts expected.