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As the omicron variant fuels a record-breaking surge of covid-19 cases, it is also disrupting a federal civilian workforce of 2 million people. That has delayed drug approvals, foreign travel by diplomats and the processing of tax returns as workers call in sick, quarantine or stay home to care for ill family members.
Meatpackers have avoided closures with omicron but food inflation is rampant and slowing output will only exacerbate increasing prices.
Reuters writers Hallie Gu and Karl Plume reported this week that, "China's soybean imports from the United States in 2021/22 are expected to fall sharply from last season after loading delays following Hurricane Ida."
U.S. poised to increase production of slow-growing birds but change won't come easily.
Rising energy prices, reduced supply combine to push up prices for crop nutrients.