Meat production has been hampered by challenges such as rising freight rates, as well as a rise in corn and soy prices that make feed for livestock more expensive. Google.com reports that the beef industry has been hammered over the past two years by a series of supply shocks, closings of processing plants and a drought affecting cattle feed. The result is that average meat prices have risen sharply, but local meat processing businesses are doing rather well.
Hetherington Meat Processing, located in Clinton at 803 North Hwy N, has had no slow down, and owner Jim Hetherington reported that the business has tripled since COVID. The family-owned and operated shop specializes in slaughter, processing, curing and tenderizing of livestock and game.
“Meat processors went down for a bit, and people started going to local butchers,” said Hetherington. “We are a custom butcher, and we have been cautious so we don’t get caught up with COVID illnesses. We used to do 15 beef a week before COVID. Now, we do 20 to 24 a week. This is a good time to fill freezers because prices are just going up.”
Jackman’s Meat Market, at 36892 Jackman Avenue in Warsaw/Fristoe, said that they have recently had some cancellations of orders and that may be due to some large meat processing places opening back up. But, the owners said that they have had a steady business for two years custom butchering beef, pork and deer, and they get a lot of calls. Retail shop prices for meat that is bought to sell in the store tend to fluctuate.
www.bbc.com reported last month that four giants – JBS, Cargill Meat Solutions, Tyson Foods, and National Beef Packing Company – control between 55 and 85 percent of the meat market and part of the problem of high prices is that they are allowed to charge what they like. The present administration is investigating “Price-fixing” in the chicken-processing industry, and it plans to tighten the laws governing competition in the meat industry.
Deer meat might seem like a cheaper alternative to livestock meat, and MDC reports in a current news release that deer numbers look good and a strong harvest is expected. However, a hunter’s cost of harvesting deer can be expensive after buying all of the necessary gear for the sport.
Conversations with an MDC official, as well as anonymous hunters in the area, could not confirm that hunters are harvesting more deer because of high retail meat prices. However, MDC did confirm that hunters harvested a total of 297,214 deer during the 2020-21 deer season. That was an increase of over 11,000 harvested deer the year before. Harvest numbers for the 2021-22 deer season will not be available until January 2022. The MDC news release stated that “This season’s harvest should be higher than average due to increasing deer numbers around most of the state coupled with increased firearms antlerless permits in a number of counties, and the extension of the antlerless portion.”
One hunter and butcher (for 27 years) from Edwards, Bill Dreffs, spoke with this reporter about the benefits of venison, for those who properly process it.
“Deer sausage is a good base for a lot of meat dishes, especially sausage,” said Dreffs. “But it has to be processed properly and not left on a truck for a long time and driven around town. I have one recipe for hamburgers made with one-third deer meat and two-thirds of fat hamburger (70 percent lean and 30 percent fat). The hamburger meat usually takes away the unpleasant or wild taste of the venison. I used to process 350 to 500 deer for hunters a year, and learned that no matter how much someone doesn’t like deer meat, it can be made tasty with good seasoning and processing.”
MDC reminds hunters and landowners that providing grain, minerals, and other consumable products used to attract deer is prohibited year-round within all counties of the MDC CWD Management Zone. Hunters who hunt within this zone also need to be mindful of the carcass movement restrictions that went into effect last year. Whole carcasses and heads may only be transported outside the county of harvest if delivered to a licensed meat processor or taxidermist within 48 hours.