Labor has been an issue in the meat industry for a long time. Well before everyone knew what a Coronavirus was, large and small processors alike were struggling with how to find and retain good workers. The labor shortage has become even more critical now, and it’s disrupted the entire meat supply chain. If the big packing plants can’t fill shifts, the result is a raw materials shortage and higher meat prices for everyone.
Of course, the larger effects of the labor shortage are out of your control. As a small processor, your main concern is the employment situation in your own facility. To that end, there are a couple of things that you should be doing.