Slowing pig growth during COVID-19, models for use in future market fluctuations.

Abstract

COVID-19 has provided global challenges to almost every industry. Among these challenges were positive cases of COVID-19 in employees at swine processing facilities, leading to temporary, or extended, shutdown of the facilities (Millet et al., 2020). In the United States, processing capacity is closely aligned with the number of pigs produced such that packing facility shutdowns or slowdowns rapidly results in a backlog of pigs needing to be harvested. Thus, there was no place for the pigs to go that were ready for market. Swine processing under federal inspection began to decrease in late March 2020 (Figure 1; USDA, 2020). The lowest weekly harvest occurred from April 27 to May 2, 2020, which represented a decrease of approximately 45% of normal slaughter capacity. Open in a separate window Figure 1. Estimated weekly swine harvest under federal inspection in 2020. Data adapted from USDA Livestock, Poultry, and Grain Market News Division.