GRAPHIC: Despite COVID-19 Closings And Slowdowns, Pork Production Was Higher In 2020 Than The Year Before

At the start of the pandemic’s first year, COVID-19 outbreaks forced dozens of meatpacking plants to close. Companies claimed there would be meat shortages.

Pork production — especially in the Midwest, which produces most of the nation’s pork — dropped significantly after the first wave of outbreaks, starting in March 2020. (A handful of plants produce the majority of the country’s pork.)

Iowa, Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska combine to process more than 40% of all hogs in the country. In these states, between March and May 2020, the rate of slaughtering dropped 40% compared to that time period in 2019, according to a new U.S. Department of Agriculture analysis.

Higher diesel prices are raising harvest and freight costs for farmers. Shay Myers of Owyhee Produce says fuel adds nearly $40,000 to weekly operating costs compared with a year ago, while freight costs have doubled.