by fred wilkinson

2022 finds the State of the Industry to be strong overall, but the lingering supply chain hangover post-pandemic coupled with rising costs for production and retail price inflation are tempering optimism. After enjoying two years of strong dollar sales growth, inflation took a big bite out of consumers’ meat spending in August. The average price per pound in the meat department across all cuts and kinds (both fixed and random weight) weighed in at $4.65 in August, up 9 cents from July and up 7.6% compared with the previous year, according to IRI data. Meat had below-average inflation compared to the overall food and beverage category. For the past few months, meat inflation has trended milder than the 52-week average, suggesting price increases may be moderating. Inflation in processed meat remained in the double digits, at 12.9% in August. Check out our complete State of the Industry 2022 Report for an inclusive and comprehensive look at how different sectors of the meat, poultry and seafood industries are addressing challenges and opportunities in the current marketplace.

Also, in Independent Processor, don’t miss this issue’s feature on Nicholas Meat LLC’s Sustainable Resource Facility project, an ambitious upgrade that will substantially reduce the beef processor’s water use and carbon footprint.

www.provisoneronline.com   |   october 2022