By Tom Polansek
CHICAGO (Reuters) – Rising Covid-19 infections among U.S. workers have forced meatpackers to slow production and the government to replace slaughterhouse inspectors, companies and union members said.
The meat industry is the latest sector to be impacted by the surge in cases of the highly contagious Ômicron variant, which has also left airlines, hospitals and schools struggling to retain staff.
Cargill Inc, one of the largest US beef producers, operated some plants with reduced slaughter capacity last week, spokesman Daniel Sullivan said.
Lower slaughter capacity reduces US beef supply at a time of rising demand and means producers must keep cattle longer in feedlots or on farms. A sustained period of lower production could further increase high meat prices at a time of inflation fears.
The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimated that beef processors slaughtered 112,000 head of cattle on Friday, down about 6% from a year earlier and equaling levels of 3 January, the lowest levels since October. Pig slaughter, meanwhile, was down about 5% from last year on Friday, the USDA said.
USDA meatpacking inspectors are increasingly testing positive, said Paula Schelling-Soldner, president of the National Joint Local Food Inspection Board, which represents about 6,400 meat and poultry inspectors.
(Additional additional reporting by Leah Douglas in Washington and Christopher Walljasper in Chicago)
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