The American Association of Meat Processors says ongoing labor shortages and supply chain issues are keeping local processors from accessing needed supplies.
They are struggling with finding paper, cardboard boxes, seasoning, and spices. They say things are worse now than when the pandemic hit because packers purchased everything in stock but supplies have not caught back up.
They say the U.S. does not have the right climate for growing some of the needed ingredients, which is why supply chain bottlenecks have caused small processors to miss shipments of some basic ingredients, like salt.
