Meat industry impacted by COVID-19, experts say

Meat industry impacted by COVID-19, experts say

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Experts across the nation are saying we are dealing with a meat shortage right now due to the coronavirus pandemic.

And, local experts say it's because of a disruption in the food supply chain.

Kezi 9 news reporter evita garza spoke with a local butcher shop owner today...about how this shortage is affecting his business.

Tim mcclendon says business is booming at nickabob meat market right now.

He says many of his customers are choosing to buy meat&because of the pandemic.

00:09 tim mcclendon, owner, nickabob's meat market: the people who would be stopping off and getting a burger or pizza or something like that, theye coming to the meat market instead?

But, his inventory is very limited.

Sometimes we get shortage, last week, i couldn buy t-bones at all?

Experts say we are dealing with a national meat shortage right now.

But it not because of a lack of cattle& it because meat processing plants across the county are shutting down due to covid-19.?because theye not slaughtering, that creates less product coming out, which drives the price up, which makes thing hard to get?

That means they are not processing and delivering meat to retailers& leaving butchers like mclendon with limited quantities to sell.

00:50 evita:?mcclendon says he often puts up facebook ads like this to let his customers know what they have in stock.

But he reduced his posts in the last few weeks... because he not sure what hel have, because meat supply is very scarce right now?

Oregon state university professor dina ribrink says there no reason to panic.?the farmers still have all the meat available, but we can get it to the actual people who can buy it?

As for mcclendon, he says he doesn mind that his customers are trying to stock up.?you know, it always good to have a little extra in your freezer?

He just hopes they understand when he doesn have what they want.

In roseburg, evita garza kezi 9 news.