Food destroyed

The airlines and the car industry (yesterday's post) are suffering because of reduced demand. Quarantine has reduced travel and reduced incomes, so customers just won't fly and many will not buy cars.

Farming is affected too, but at the supply end of the economy. Some farmers cannot get their vegetables and animals processed into food that you can buy in your grocery store. Eight major meat facilities in the U.S. have had to stop operation at least temporarily because of the coronavirus,  affecting 15% of our pork processing capacity. 

photo

Farmers who can't find a processor to buy their ready-for-market pigs are having to destroy them. According to an industry association, Minnesota farmers may have to cull 200,000 hogs.

"Dairy farmers are spilling milk that can't be sold to processors, broiler operations have been breaking eggs to reduce supplies and some fruit and vegetables are rotting in fields amid labor and distribution disruptions."

from Houston Chronicle