The Christmas dinners of many people in the United States are in danger due to the shortage of butter, one of the main ingredients with which various dishes are made during the holidays.
Data from the Department of Agriculture (USDA, for its acronym in English) says that the amount of butter that was in the country’s storage facilities it fell 10% in August in the last month and 22% compared to the same period a year ago.
The USDA said that there were more than 282 million pounds of butter in warehouses last month, up from more than 362 million pounds in August 2021.
Another report, from the Agricultural Marketing Service, says demand is outstripping supply in the West, where growers are running reduced production schedules.
The report says that in the Northeast, retail demand for butter is increasing, but tight inventories are leading producers to trim supplies from existing orders.
The explanation given by the producers of this food is based on the fact that cream loads “are in short supply or not available.” Rising costs for feed, energy, heifers and labor are affecting supply problems, experts say.
The issue can affect the pockets of many consumers. As supplies run low, the price of butter has skyrocketed, surpassing all other foods in the Consumer Price Index.
Also, milk production in the country fell 1% from January to June, the USDA said. This affects the production of this and other dairy products.
As the shortage continues, Specialists project that product prices will remain high in the remainder of 2022.
Butter has not been the only product that has presented supply problems recently. Other ingredients, such as mustard, wheat, and carbon dioxide used to make beers, have impacted their respective industries.
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Source: La Opinion
