Posted on 10/13/2019 5:37:08 PM PDT by Libloather
Bad news bacon lovers.
Virginia-based Smithfield Foods Inc., the worlds biggest pork producer, is warning that an outbreak of African swine fever wiping out hog farms in China could result in a stateside shortage of pig belly and even ham next year.
Though the crisis hasnt impacted the U.S. market yet, that that could change as China is forced to increase imports to satisfy demand in 2020, Bloomberg reports.
The Chinese are insatiable in their appetite for pork, Arnold Silver, director of raw materials procurement at Smithfield, said at the Urner Barry Global Protein Summit in Chicago earlier this week.
Prior to the start of the epidemic a year ago, the Asian country a veritable superpower of pork. Experts estimate that by the end of 2019, China's production of pork could be cut in half. "That's roughly 300 million to 350 million pigs lost in China, which is almost a quarter of the world's pork supply," Christine McCracken, a senior analyst at RaboResearch, told NPR. "It's a massive number."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
We do. Start trapping all the feral hogs instead of using them for target practice.
Not Guilty!
I believe Smithfield was bought by the Chinese.
Higher prices for our hog farmers.......bigger share of the market too.
No kidding. You can buy steak cheaper than bacon. Bacon, eggs, and grits is no longer a poor boy's supper.
"Heh, pork anal.yst"
I usually buy 6 pounds when it goes on sale at Sprouts, for $3.99/lb. I freeze the slices individually, then put them in a freezer bag. Take them out by the slice as needed.
At least peoples health will improve , imho. If not their disposition.
I hope I can get another freezer so I can really stock up.
My knees are shaking. If you can’t get enough, you can’t get ‘MORE’’.
“Bacon freezes well. “
It won’t spoil when it’s frozen, but quality still deteriotes. My experience is the fat gets a tad ratty and the thawed slices don’t separate as readily when you pull them apart.
“strategic bacon reserve”
We do have one. You haven’t heard about it because its size and location are highly classified.
“pork analyst”
Talk about feeling like you’re being judged in bed.
From INSTAPUNDIT
Yoder’s canned bacon
Strategic Bacon Reserve
War and rumors of war.
Its that serious...
My recollection is that Smithfield was purchased by the Chinese several years ago. They own many American businesses.
I’ll fund that research
There IS a bacon reserve— it’s the States of Iowa #1 and #2 North Carolina. In NC lots of big and small pork producers and LOCAL BACON— “free range” that never get sold to chi-coms hq’d in VA (ie. smithfield). State by State:
In the meantime- on the farm, little piggies for free range in the mobile pens and feed trays— are a hot commodity. Fresh is best.
Good for US Producers
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