Supply chain expert explains why there is a chronic cat food shortage in American states like Iowa and Florida.
We are experiencing many changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but cat owners are facing a new challenge – a cat food shortage. Why are shoppers faced with empty shelves when trying to provide nutrition for their pets?
A professor at Iowa State University who studies supply chains told Wifr.com
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Different factors are working together to make cat food scarce, according to him. The number of cats owned has increased, coupled with a lack of ingredients and even packaging, causing a perfect storm to disrupt the supply of cat food.
The good news is that American households adopted a lot more cats in 2020 as the pandemic spread. The surge in cat adoptions has continued despite a decline in other pet adoptions, indicating that more families are purchasing cats as permanent pets.
Moreover, there are fewer supplies of cat food because more cats are being fed, resulting in emptier shelves.
Moreover, the ingredients that make up pet food have become harder to find or more expensive to source, resulting in a shortage of cat food. Most of America’s pet food and meat are imported from overseas, as well as minerals and vitamins.
Pet Food Institute of the US However, the pandemic’s impact on the food supply chain is still causing problems.
(opens in new tabThe problem was raised with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) back in June 2021.
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To add to the problem, transportation issues mean that even when supplies do arrive at ports, there is still a long delay in unloading it from ships and getting it to the pet food factories.
There is still a shortfall even when the food is sourced in the US. In pet food, meat is often derived from human food off-cuts, and as meat supplies have shrunk due to shortages caused by the pandemic, these by-products have become harder to find.
These off-cuts come from hospitality businesses such as hotels and restaurants, which have been forced to close due to lockdowns. The scarcity of meat caused the price of meat to rise by 6.3% in 2021 as well.
Do renewable energy sources really cause pet food shortages?
Oils and fats essential for cat health are also in short supply, and the reason may surprise you. Due to the favorable tariffs offered to companies that produce renewable fuels, many of these products are more difficult to obtain for pet food manufacturers.
Many of these fats and oils appear to be diverted to industries that produce renewable diesel. PFI and its members support efforts to combat climate change, but current policies give the energy sector a market advantage and disadvantage pet food companies.
Container issues
In addition to ingredients, pet food manufacturers increasingly have no container for their food, even if they can make it.
The traditional metal cans used to keep pet food fresh are becoming increasingly difficult to source due to aluminum shortages and staff shortages at canneries. Stella and Chewy have already switched to pouches to store their pet food.
Hopefully, this pet food crisis will only last for a short time. The PFI explains that it is actively communicating with the federal government about these disruptions and advocating for solutions to address and improve the US supply chain.
In the meantime, please rest assured that Americans are producing complete and balanced nutrition for their pets.”
In addition to recommending that shoppers only purchase the amount of food they will need on a regular basis, we also recommend contacting the individual company for assistance.
