Meat prices rise, local butcher says worker shortage to blame

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ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) – From gasoline to rent to food, prices are skyrocketing as America emerges from the coronavirus pandemic, and that includes the cost of meat and poultry.

Tom Eickman, president of Eickman’s Processing in Seward, says he believes the reason for the price increase is related to the current labor shortage in the United States and the need for workers.

“If I’m well below the price on these, all of a sudden I’m out of inventory, because I’m the cheap guy on the block,” Eickman said. “We’re just trying to attract people, to get people to move this product. Ourselves, we are missing seven people [of a full work team]. “

Eickman says he hasn’t seen a candidacy for five weeks, an issue nearly every industry is currently facing.

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“Everyone is competing for the one person who wants to return to work now, and they have a plethora of places to choose from,” he said.

Meat prices are rising hourly, he says. “Ever since the pandemic hit, all of a sudden you’ll see $ 1.50 to $ 2 in an hour, even sometimes, on the product. “

As a result, restaurants have to make tough choices.

“This menu doesn’t change overnight… As I increase the prices to them, they have to figure out how they can either convey that to the consumer or integrate that,” Eickman said.

Carrie Severing is the manager of Smoking Coop Barbeque Pit in Belvidere. said, “You don’t want the prices to go too high, because you don’t want customers to get angry. But, at the same time, we still have to cover our share of the business, manage and pay our employees. “

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Severing said raising the prices was not what she wanted to do.

“We love families that come out and we want families to always be there, which is why we try to keep it where families can still afford,” she said.

Eickman says a change could come soon.

“They (meat prices) are starting to go down, so we might start to see some relief,” he said.

Restaurants ask customers to refrain from posting bad reviews because they have been forced to raise prices, and say they hope to lower prices when market prices drop.

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