Quite remarkably this ABC report on empty shelves is not far away from outlining the truth. They are still obfuscating some of the predictable reasons, and they completely ignore the vaccination mandate aspect that is going to worsen the issue, but they are nibbling the edges, nonetheless.
The backward-looking comparative statistics they cite, “15% shortage for food and beverages” overall, are nonsense. The severity of unavailable products is much higher than that. You will note from your own store visits the most unavailable products are the manufactured food and heavily processed products.
The raw material shortage inside the retail manufacturing supply chain path, combined with the increased demand on those manufactured sectors, is the direct cause of the manufactured food shortage. {Go Deep} [Example: a high demand for citric acid means complex foods that use citrus flavorings (ie. sports drinks) are in short supply. Chase that backward, and you see shortages in citrus & higher citrus costs, etc.]
Each seemingly small issue creates another small issue, which creates another small issue, which ultimately pokes holes in the supply. Poke enough holes in enough small categories from manufactured condiments to manufactured drinks, to manufactured cereals, pasta, grains, soups, pet foods, and the complex food processing system overall begins to show the larger problem. It’s a system collapse by a thousand paper cuts.
♦ Forty-five percent (45%) of Democrats favor the government forcing unvaccinated people into federal quarantine camps if they refuse the COVID-19 vaccine.
Earlier today, a grand jury delivered a four count indictment related to Mosby’s efforts to swindle COVID pandemic relief money for her own personal gain. Two counts of perjury (pandemic relief money), and two counts of falsifying mortgage applications without revealing she had outstanding IRS liabilities. She tried to purchase homes in Florida.
Apparently fearing the economic consequences, the Canadian government has dropped the vaccination requirement for Canadian truck drivers, and instructed border officials to permit unvaccinated Canadian truckers to cross the border.
Unfortunately, the 7% in June of 1982 was when inflation was on the way down from Jimmy Carter’s failed economic policy. This time our 7% milestone has been achieved while inflation is on the climb thanks to Joe Biden’s failed economic policies.