When a look ahead was taken a year ago at this time, the discussion focused on the pending game-changer. That is, when and how much will the China market reopen for U.S. chicken?

Demand drivers. Even without a worldwide pandemic, economic shutdowns and disruptions in food processing, Dan Basse would have covered demand drivers at the 15th annual Feeding Quality Forum.

This year has been a year of unprecedented challenge for the beef industry as we all adapted to navigate a changed world amid the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Because of COVID-19, 2020 is the ultimate anomaly. Millions of Americans are working from home or sequestered at home. The marketplace disruption caused by COVID-19 spells uncertainty for the year’s most anticipated food and beverage trends.

Driven by the huge increase in at-home meal occasions during the COVID-19 pandemic, bacon, like numerous other proteins, has seen an upsurge in overall buyers vs. a year ago for the latest 52 weeks, ending June 14, 2020, in multi-retail outlets, excluding convenience, according to IRI, Chicago. 

It is time for independent processors to step forward and take a well-deserved bow. During the last few months, our industry has struggled to keep up with the consumer demand for meat and poultry products and has met those difficulties head-on.

After years of increasing revenues, prepared-foods activity is crashing as consumers switch to homemade meals as they seek safety and savings in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Feed ingredients are the No. 1 cost component of the protein business, followed by labor and energy. Oil prices are historically linked to feed-ingredient crops. 

Similar to many other meat products, sausage sales are booming as a huge portion of the population eats more meals at home in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of restaurants.

The American Association of Meat Processors welcomes Niki Cloud to the position of Convention Manager/Membership Services Coordinator.