# Bottleneck in beef industry pushes producers into making key decisions

> K-State extension economists said COVID-19 cut Kansas beef slaughter to as low as 72,000 head a day in April, about 40% below 2019. Harvest had recovered to 91,000 head by May 13, but capacity remains well below normal.

- Date: 2020-05-15 · published 2020-05-15T12:00:00.000Z
- Category: logistics · region US · magnitude medium
- Page: https://feedsoft.ai/events/53300-bottleneck-in-beef-industry-pushes-producers-into-making-key-decisions
- Commodities: [Live Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/LCATTLE.md), [Feeder Cattle](https://feedsoft.ai/c/FCATTLE.md)

## Why it matters

Reduced packing capacity leaves more cattle waiting on feed, which lowers live cattle and feeder prices while raising feeding costs and feed demand.

## Read by commodity

- FCATTLE: bearish ▼
- LCATTLE: bearish ▼

## Linked price moves

| Commodity | Date | Window | Change % | z-score | Why linked |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2020-05-19 | 5 | +6.0% | 2.8 | Slaughter recovering from 72,000 to 91,000 head a day by May 13 improves packer demand for cattle and supports the futures rebound. |

## Similar past events

| Commodity | Date | Event | 5-day % | 20-day % |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| LCATTLE | 2019-08-30 | [LIVESTOCK-CME Cattle Futures Decline as USDA Launches Probe into Beef Market \| Advanced Economic Solutions](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10032-livestock-cme-cattle-futures-decline-as-usda-launches-probe-into-beef-market.md) | -4.4% | -3.7% |
| LCATTLE | 2018-07-31 | [Rabobank: Processing labor pains to hit livestock producers hard](https://feedsoft.ai/events/64161-rabobank-processing-labor-pains-to-hit-livestock-producers-hard.md) | +1.5% | -1.3% |
| LCATTLE | 2020-04-22 | [Reduced production affects cattle markets](https://feedsoft.ai/events/53775-reduced-production-affects-cattle-markets.md) | -6.1% | +8.8% |
| LCATTLE | 2025-11-24 | [Tyson Foods to close major US beef plant as cattle supplies dwindle](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6868-tyson-foods-to-close-major-us-beef-plant-as-cattle-supplies-dwindle.md) | +1.3% | +5.8% |
| LCATTLE | 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) | -0.3% | -5.7% |
| FCATTLE | 2019-08-30 | [LIVESTOCK-CME Cattle Futures Decline as USDA Launches Probe into Beef Market \| Advanced Economic Solutions](https://feedsoft.ai/events/10032-livestock-cme-cattle-futures-decline-as-usda-launches-probe-into-beef-market.md) | -3.9% | +4.0% |
| FCATTLE | 2022-01-21 | [Canadian cattle producers desperate as feed shortage reaches crisis levels \| CBC News](https://feedsoft.ai/events/43089-canadian-cattle-producers-desperate-as-feed-shortage-reaches-crisis-levels-cbc.md) | -1.4% | +3.1% |
| FCATTLE | 2025-11-24 | [Tyson Foods to close major US beef plant as cattle supplies dwindle](https://feedsoft.ai/events/6868-tyson-foods-to-close-major-us-beef-plant-as-cattle-supplies-dwindle.md) | +4.7% | +7.1% |

## Sources

- ksre.k-state.edu: https://www.ksre.k-state.edu/news/stories/2020/05/troubleshooting-uncertain-times-in-the-beef-industry.html

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