Reason for Tyson's ad about meat shortage

kansashunter

I have been trying to figure out the reasoning behind Tyson foods ad that they put out. It could be greed, enticing people to buy more product at a higher price while at the same time paying less for the cattle and hogs. It could be they wanted the President to order them to stay open to keep their workers from suing. It and the news coverage has certainly helped with demand, boxed beef was up $13 Wednesday and $10 Thursday. I have not heard lately but a couple of weeks ago the estimate was the packers were making around $500 a head.  This all would have happened without them placing the ad I think. Anybody have any thoughts? 

DrawbarFlats

All I know is that the ranchers around here are hurting big time and the forecast for the fall shipping season looks to be a major disaster. Forcing the meat processing/packaging plants to stay open is moot if the ranchers go belly up. 

jbp-ohio

Several major slaughter houses are closed. Local farm trying to sell off their hogs for $140 each or they have to bury them to mske room for the piglets coming in a couple weeks.....

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10222264513825707&id=1351520763

earlyagain

I've not seen the inside of a meat processing plant except on tv.. From the coverage here of the local plant and in combination with my personal experience of working in an auto paint factory. It looks like the workers are right next to eachother in mass for long durations of time. It also appears at least on the surface, that sanitation efforts and protocols are not sufficient to stop rampant employee infection.

Ordering the plants to stay open looks to me like throwing the workers under the bus to feed a nation. I'm not committed to this opinion and may change my mind with more information.

Loss of livestock agriculture is serious. Im not looking forward to the consequences of that at all.

Im also worried about the price of oil. I'm thinking refineries will be shut down resulting on an artificial shortange of fuel.

Jay

I believe a lot of the major packing plants are unionized. I took the Tyson letter as a plea for the government to override the union and allow the plants to reopen. The companies, of course, would love to be operating and not losing money every day. The unions are the ones who wanted it shut down. So, getting Trump to bully the unions back to work was one way to do it. That’s what I thought, anyway. Could be incorrect. 

ilove22s

who knows.  But im a firm believer that "greed overcomes all doubt" and that there is alot of greed in the corporate sector.

Anything a corporation can do to screw their employees and line the pockets of the upper management, they will do.

i just saw an add for frito-lay spouting off they just hired 3k or 30K? new employees and are getting food to those in need?  Not sure how they are doing it or maybe just passing out the junk food they make?  

Everyone will be affected by this virus one way or the other.  The trickle down affect will be in really strong play too.   

but i can tell you those in power and the big corporations and banks will come out ahead in this.  

as far as the meat industry.  They maybe in a world of hurt anyway with the way the "non meat" proteins are making their way into the food chain.  To me i would be reading the writing on the wall, but im sure those in charge will be blind to it all.   Granted the meat industry will always be there, but i think they are due for some changes and there will be some downsizing of the industry is in the future.   

Bigslug

Well before the coronavirus, we've talked about various industries trending to more automation, net-based sales, and various other ways to eliminate the need for employees who have inconvenient needs for money, paid vacation, pension plans, medical and dental coverage, and now, thanks to Covid-19, heightened physical safety.  It's really not even so much greed - if the option exists, it just makes good business sense.  I have no idea how far along plans are for a robot that can dismantle a pig or cow, but SOMEBODY'S got to be thinking about it.  Just stop and ponder for a moment what jobs CAN'T ultimately be automated, & it'll give you some pause.

As for increase of current market prices,  there really can't be any avoiding it.  It's an industry that has evolved in a way to NOT be compatible with airborne virus protocols, and change costs. I figure there's got to be elements of providing PPE for the workers, slowing down the line to the rate that people can work while wearing it, and a certain amount of hazard pay - both for the virus and the dangers of working with the added encumbrances of whatever PPE is needed.  To my first paragraph - more regulation that will pave the way for our robot overlords.

tennmike

As to what Bigslug said about automating the meat cutting thing I'd guess that some smart cookie is already doing some coding for robotics to do the major breakdown of a carcass and reducing it so workers have less of that to contend with. That would give some distance between workers doing the final cuts. It will eventually happen, and open up distance between workers on the cutting lines.

Not having PPE manufacturers here in the states is an abomination. Having to depend on China for it is an abomination of abominations. Bring it back on shore.

CHIRO1989

Workers' union: JBS-Worthington plant to reopen Wednesday with new safety precautions

https://www.fox9.com/news/workers-union-jbs-worthington-plant-to-reopen-wednesday-with-new-safety-precautions

ilove22s

I worked in the automation industry and can see how that will affect many industries.

But ever consider why they cant automate from the top too?  But i can bet, that wont be discussed.  The golden rule comes to mind.

Alot of things can be automated, but its just a matter of $$$.  When those in charge (that have short sights) dont see a ROI in 1 day or so, they arent interested.   

Something i thought was interesting was that BMW? was going back to some human assembly.  What they found and this is probably true, so far at this time, is that robots cant wing it or adapt to changes - so far.  it appears that their "special orders" throw a monkey wrench in automation.  So for now, they are using humans, because they can adapt and change faster.   Im sure they if someone wanted to look at all of the combonations/permutations of the various special orders, you could program it into the robots, but i for one would love to see that budget and timeline and im sure for now humans are cheaper.

what i also noticed in my time working is that upper management doesnt give a hoot about the workers.  There could be issues all over, but their mindset it that "what do we pay them for?".   The same could be said for upper manage too, but again, who goes there?   Then when the issues becomes so big that it will affect their bonus/salary/perfromance or someone above them comes to chew them a new A$$, then they finally do something.

Varmintmist

Its the same reason tp is hard to find.

They make enough houshold tp to wipe all the butts when they are home, and enough commercial tp to clean them at work. No one is using commercial tp.

The supply chains for the grocery stores are up and running, the supply chain for the restaurants are shut down. No one is buying sausage egg mcmuffins so those little piggies stay home.

I already bought a half pig. Might get another. Hmm. I have a neighbor with a commercial grinder....