Listen to the Audio
Stay-at-home orders have devastated the demand for high-end cuts of meat. With steakhouses and other restaurants only offering takeout, consumers aren’t buying much more than ground beef.
When restaurants closed, grocery store shelves cleared out and the retail price of beef shot up. At the same time, sale prices of cattle cratered, leaving livestock farmers holding the bag. Recent packing plant closures have only added to the financial uncertainty.
Missouri Farm Bureau worked with Members of Congress to get emergency funding to help livestock farmers survive this crisis. We also asked USDA to investigate beef packers for possible price collusion, which they agreed to look into. Our food supply is essential, and we need to fight to keep farmers in business.
To the processing plant workers preparing meat for sale, the truck drivers delivering it to stores, and everyone helping to get high-quality American meat into hungry people’s homes, thank YOU for your service.
