# COVID debate: What to do with all the dead animals? - E&E News by POLITICO

> The US livestock industry is turning to rendering to handle tens of thousands of hogs and other animals that cannot move through normal meat supply chains after meatpacking plants closed for COVID-19. Rendering plants have stepped up operations and retooled to accept heavier animals, though NARA says the surge may exceed capacity for now.

- Date: 2020-05-04 · published 2020-05-04T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/53294-covid-debate-what-to-do-with-all-the-dead-animals-e-and-e-news-by-politico
- Commodities: [Meat & Bone Meal](https://feedsoft.ai/c/MBM.md), [Lean Hogs](https://feedsoft.ai/c/HOGS.md)

## Why it matters

Diverted animals boost rendered meat and bone meal supply while meatpacking closures cut live hog and cattle demand, pressuring livestock prices.

## Read by commodity

- MBM: bullish ▲
- HOGS: bearish ▼

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| HOGS | 2024-09-30 | [Cattle mixed ahead of possible port strike - CME
						 \| The Cattle Site](https://feedsoft.ai/events/28431-cattle-mixed-ahead-of-possible-port-strike-cme-the-cattle-site.md) | +1.6% | -1.2% |
| HOGS | 2021-02-17 | [South Cotabato firm ships 2,000 hogs to ease tight pork supply, prices in MM \|
    Official Portal of the Department of Agriculture](https://feedsoft.ai/events/48496-south-cotabato-firm-ships-2-000-hogs-to-ease-tight-pork-supply-prices-in-mm.md) | +1.8% | +11.5% |
| HOGS | 2019-08-19 | [Beef, pork, poultry markets face new challenges: analyst](https://feedsoft.ai/events/57716-beef-pork-poultry-markets-face-new-challenges-analyst.md) | -5.0% | -10.2% |
| HOGS | 2023-08-07 | [Darling-Butterball rendering plant idea based on logistics \| WATTPoultry.com](https://feedsoft.ai/events/34703-darling-butterball-rendering-plant-idea-based-on-logistics-wattpoultry-com.md) | -0.4% | -16.8% |
| HOGS | 2023-07-11 | [Pork sector calls for essential service status amid B.C. port strike - AgCanada](https://feedsoft.ai/events/35056-pork-sector-calls-for-essential-service-status-amid-b-c-port-strike-agcanada.md) | +3.3% | +4.0% |

## Sources

- eenews.net: https://www.eenews.net/articles/covid-debate-what-to-do-with-all-the-dead-animals/

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Data from Feedsoft AI (https://feedsoft.ai/). For information only; not investment advice.