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2020-04-26 Economy
Frozen French Fries in Short Supply as Farmers Sit on Tons of Potatoes
[Epoch Times] Frozen french fry sales at grocery stores spiked 78.6 percent for the four-week period ended April 4, according to Nielsen data, resulting in shortages at many U.S. supermarkets.

Mayewski, 25, a construction manager, has not seen frozen fries at the Giant Food or Safeway supermarkets near her Maryland home.

Kraft Heinz Co’s Ore-Ida, the main producer of frozen fries for supermarkets, is rushing to bolster supplies.

"Our Ore-Ida factory is running at full capacity to keep up with demand," Kraft spokesman Michael Mullen said.
Meanwhile:
At the same time, major fast-food french fry suppliers McCain Foods, J.R. Simplot, and Lamb Weston Holdings are canceling potato orders.

Fast-food suppliers’ freezers are full of frozen fries, hash browns, and potato skins, and their storage sheds are packed with potatoes, farmers and experts told Reuters.

Their demand is down because four out of ten U.S. restaurants are closed, as are schools, hotels, and workplaces. Fast-food chains are doing drive-through only, and with no set date for lifting stay-at-home orders, the outlook for the foodservice industry is dim
But:
Compounding problems, most foodservice operators do not have connections at supermarkets—where adding a new product can take several months.

"It would be a Herculean task," Allen said of rerouting supplies. And with all the uncertainty around demand, he added, "the investment would be tough to justify."
Did you realize that there is an international signal flat message that reads

NOTHING CAN BE DONE BEFORE HIGH TIDE

Sounds like a job for Captain Know-how. Or maybe someone needs to write some B2B codes in COBOL.
Posted by KBK 2020-04-26 00:42|| || Front Page|| [11133 views ]  Top

#1 I'm doing my part! My wife and I go to lunch once or twice a week for fast food (Whataburger) for a picnic lunch in the parking lot (after the drive thru.)

If you are not doing your part, welcome to the destruction of the US economy!
Posted by Bobby 2020-04-26 01:53||   2020-04-26 01:53|| Front Page Top

#2 So tell me again why "bath tissue" is in short supply....
Posted by Clem 2020-04-26 08:25||   2020-04-26 08:25|| Front Page Top

#3 Because everyone is bathing?
Posted by Skidmark 2020-04-26 08:30||   2020-04-26 08:30|| Front Page Top

#4 Must have pretty big toilets then!
Posted by Clem 2020-04-26 08:33||   2020-04-26 08:33|| Front Page Top

#5 Clem,TP rolls are still scarce because people are using their home toilets rather than those at work, school etc. (formerly ~35%) which generally use a different TP - folded, big rolls, etc. - which are in surplus. The two manufacturing set-ups are not easily interchanged.
Posted by Glenmore 2020-04-26 12:20||   2020-04-26 12:20|| Front Page Top

#6 there was a truck full of free potatoes in twin falls the other day, i grabbed a few, some folks were really stocking up tho
Posted by 746 2020-04-26 12:22||   2020-04-26 12:22|| Front Page Top

#7 @ #5 - Valid point, Glenmore, and I definitely understand the "industrial" size versus home-use size, but if my memory serves me correctly, the hoarding began before any lock-down measures. I suppose people saw the writing on the wall in a sense.
Posted by Clem 2020-04-26 12:27||   2020-04-26 12:27|| Front Page Top

#8 Self-created shortage by hoarding.
Posted by Frank G 2020-04-26 12:30||   2020-04-26 12:30|| Front Page Top

#9 So tell me again why "bath tissue" is in short supply..

When the fucking Sh--sh-w comes to town, stock your shitter
:-)
Posted by Lex 2020-04-26 12:31||   2020-04-26 12:31|| Front Page Top

#10 lol
Posted by Chris 2020-04-26 15:28||   2020-04-26 15:28|| Front Page Top

#11 Charmin Forever Roll
Posted by Skidmark 2020-04-26 16:16||   2020-04-26 16:16|| Front Page Top

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