Family gatherings are expected to be much smaller than usual for Thanksgiving and Christmas in 2020, creating uncertainty around what role turkeys will play in holiday meals.
Thanksgiving and Christmas are marked by large gatherings, but there will be a sharp break from that tradition in 2020 as health officials discourage large gatherings to help limit the spread of COVID.
The U.S.’s two largest North American trading partners – Canada and Mexico – often feel overlooked but they are reliable and important foreign destinations for US broiler meat.
Poor market conditions were enough motivation for production cutbacks, but the effort picked up steam as COVID-19 began spreading rapidly among plant workers.
Heavy rain and flooding resulted in unprecedented planting delays. With yield prospects also dimming, grain buyers are concerned about a potentially underwhelming harvest.
Average broiler weights at slaughter have increased 45 percent in the past 30 years, wholesale chicken prices declined 57 percent during the same time period.