Study Links Federally Declared Weather Disasters to Reductions in U.S. Pork Processing

Federally declared weather disasters not only affect crop and livestock production, they also can challenge entities further down the food supply chain, such as meat processors. When an area experiences a disaster, it can be more difficult for a meat processing plant to operate efficiently. For example, it might be harder to transport hogs from farms to processing plants because of poor weather and road conditions. Plant workers might have trouble commuting in severe snowstorms. Environmental disasters, outbreaks of illness, and consistent population loss in areas surrounding a packing plant—all of which indirectly impact labor availability—have the potential to reduce or halt production.