For work-related reasons, I look at supply chains, distribution centers, product availability and keeping track of JIT inventory systems (all relating to food). I can tell you: aside from a few products not being available due to coronaclosures— everything's still being produced/moving. You want to know what's causing shortages? People are still panic-buying. Most stores, which run on JIT and do their ordering based on yearly-cycle data literally have no idea how much of what to order, because people's buying patterns are completely insane right now. That's why your local grocery store is out of chicken legs one day, even though they have a counter full of breasts, and then vice-versa the next.
Farms are still going, even though there are fewer processing plants running: all that product simply gets redirected to the ones that are. One thing's for certain: prices are going to start creeping up, and it's not because of shortages: it's because of the insane demand.
Interesting how they'd want to tell us there's another crisis. It's almost like they're liars! :)
I believe you about Just in Time and that the system is in a bit of shock. I have heard reports about farms having to dump their stock because of not getting the packaging components (milk cartons, etc) as an interruption due to people re-adjusting priorities and essentially moving the bottlenecks elsewhere. I don't work in the industry though and just can't confirm if those things are true or not.
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