Not hyperbole, just a confluence of unfortunate events. From Musings from the Chiefio:
Why You Need To Store Meat Now
The basic problems are:
1) More than 1/4 of all the swine on the planet have already died in the African swine fever outbreak. A haemorrhagic fever of hogs.
2) It has a lot further to go (Australia, Americas, Europe).
3) The virus can live for months in products like pigs ears for dogs.
4) It WILL get much worse.
5) Corn and soy will be in short supply for animal feed given present harvest.
6) China corn is in worse shape and they are buying a lot, so their shortage is coming here.
7) Remember that hay shortage? It isn’t any better.
8) Cattle herd culling is happening NOW holding beef prices down.
9) Beef prices will go up when the cull ends and herds are balanced to lower feed supply.
That pretty much says you have a few months to put away a freezer full, can some up, buy or make jerky, or buy some canned corned beef (or corn your own :-)
In 2020 meat prices will be higher, supply lower, and selection reduced.
More at the site. I have been tracking this and in the last four months, the price for Pork Butt (actually a shoulder cut) has gone from $1.89 to $2.79 at Costco (148% price jump since July). Very tough and cheap meat but it responds to smoking and slow braising gloriously. Makes amazing pulled pork. I buy a whole butt, portion it out into one pound chunks, smoke them and cryocvac them with seasonings (salt, pepper, garlic, rosemary).
When I need a pulled pork fix, I will thaw it out, sous-vide for eight or more hours and then finish with a sear and adjust the seasonings to suit. Amazing stuff. Now have about 40 pounds in the freezer and thinking of getting another two butts and processing them.
Yes, I have a backup generator.
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