Meat shortage

We talk to Food City officials and a local butcher about how they are dealing with a meat production shortage.

You can expect caps on products and higher prices

First it was the toilet paper.

Then it was the lysol and clorox wipes.

Now, the coronavirus is causing another shortage for shoppers.

News 12's danielle moss talked to a local butcher shop about how they're making the proper adjustments.

Grocery stores across the country are experiencing meat shortages.

Food city says they are preparing for possible hoarding by limiting meat purchases to two per customer.

Steve smith/food city president/ceo-"we put this on there so that people won't come buy 10 packs of ground beef or ten packs of beef.

We want everybody to have a shot."

Meat packing plants across the country are closing because many workers are testing positive for covid-19.

President trump signed an executive order declaring meat processing plants are critical right now.

Meat plants closing mean a rise in meat prices such as beef.

Steve holloway/food city meat director-"we've seen anywhere between 25 and 30 perfect increases already in the last couple of weeks and we forsee more.

Obviously, we are doing everything we can to hold those prices down so that our customers can afford to buy the groceries that they need."

Don's meat shop in hixson says that they are having to make adjustments to their meat supply.

Donnie rains/don's meat shop owner-"i'm just shopping more people.

I do business with more than one vendor.

So, i'm having to bounce around and by product where i can get it."

Dan stand-"the owner of don's meat shop says that the biggest problem he's had since the coronavirus pandemic, is keeping up with the demand for meat.

He says that his business has more than doubled since the virus began."

Donnie rains/don's meat shop owner-"the real problem at the retail level has been labor, trying to keep up with all of the products that you make.

Because, you've gone from 0 to 100 in a second."

News 12 reached out to j-b-s which is the company that owns and operates pilgrim's pride chicken factory.

But, we did not hear back from them.

In chattanooga, danielle moss news 12