GOP To Work on "Skinny" bill and Retail Meat Sales May Slow

GOP To Work on "Skinny" bill and Retail Meat Sales May Slow

Bob Larson
Bob Larson
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson with your Agribusiness Update.

**As the Senate returns from August recess, it’s expected Republicans will unveil a new, “skinny” COVID relief package.

The bill apparently is not expected to include any relief for pork producers or most other sectors of the U.S. ag economy, with the focus instead on unemployment and other issues.

Therefore, the bill will not likely pass the Senate and, even if it did, it will not be taken up by the Democrat-controlled House.

**American consumers eagerly purchased retail meats throughout the coronavirus pandemic, but there are signs retail sales may slow adding to price pressure on cattle and hogs.

According to agweb.com, beef and pork production have largely recovered from last spring’s disruption to slaughter plants, and retailers have responded by slowly increasing the number of features they run in their weekly ads and lower prices.

That uncertainty is driven by the fact the U.S. Congress and the White House remain at odds over a second round of stimulus payments.

https://www.agweb.com/article/shifting-beef-pork-buying-behaviors?mkt/

**Heat waves during the growing season have reduced the size of California’s processing tomato crop, but estimators still expect the harvest to be slightly larger than last year.

Many farmers believe heat may reduce per-acre yields, but still anticipate a good-sized supply for use in tomato products.

Marketers say those products have sold well during the pandemic, as more people cook at home.

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