The farming industry is going hog wild trying to get rid of 2.5B pounds of meat

As the tariffs continue to fly, billions of pounds of surplus American meat and cheese are piling up.

Recent trade disputes have decreased global demand for American agricultural products, causing a surplus of more than 2.5B pounds of meat.

The farming industry is going hog wild trying to get rid of 2.5B pounds of meat

While the price of your frozen meatballs may fall, the unpredictable market is a disaster for farmers and agricultural producers — and while a recently approved $12B bailout will buy (some) farmers time, it won’t stabilize volatile markets.

For ranchers, it’s an inconvenient time for a trade war

Due to increasing consumer demand, ranchers are projected to produce a record 102.7B pounds of meat this year. But China and Mexico recently passed meaty tariffs (62% and 20%, respectively) on US pork. 

Now, cold-storage warehouse owners are scrambling to expand their operations to keep meat cold so farmers can sell it. 

But in the meantime, bacon waits for no man — prices for pork have already dropped 14% as supply continues to exceed demand. 

We hope you’re hungry, America

’Merica’s meat market isn’t the only one in trouble — the US stockpile of cheese also recently hit 1.39B pounds, causing problems in the dairy industry. 

To prevent farmers from completely choking on their cheese, the Trump administration passed a $12B emergency relief fund to insulate farmers from protectionist policies. 

But farmers have already lost an estimated $13B from the recent tariffs. If the US remains as tariff-happy as it has been in recent months, those losses will continue to increase — and 3.89B pounds of rotting cheese and meat is gonna stink…

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