Brooklyn, NY – The sign at a local Shoprite tells kosher shoppers that the store only has kosher meat when it receives a delivery from Agriprocessors. At the Wal-Mart in Monticello, a freezer case usually reserved for products from Agriprocessors was empty. Similar reports were also received from many parts of the country as Agriprocessors continues to struggle to resume normal deliveries.
In Postville and at a Brooklyn distribution center, the company’s phones are ringing off the hook with retailers, wholesalers and caterers clamoring for product. It is apparent that despite efforts by Agriprocessors to resume full production, “it is still not there yet,” a wholesaler told KosherToday. The Postville plant appears to be approaching normal production for poultry but is still lagging far behind for beef, the wholesaler noted.
With Rosh Hashanah less than two months away, there was a growing concern that there would not be enough product to go around, although the company says it is making strides every week.
One of the main issues at the plant appears to be the hiring of skilled workers, which continues on a daily basis. In addition to the reports of shortages, some kosher meat and poultry prices continue to rise with some reports of an additional 5% increase in just the past 10 days. Almost three months since the May 12th raid, the repercussions are only now beginning to be felt as the nation’s kosher meat supply is at its lowest point in the past two decades, according to industry sources.
(Source: Kosher Today)
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19 Responses
Rabosi,
When “Agriprocessors” was producing meats in full force, and was one of the causes of Kosher Meats being sold at reasonable prices, critics coudn’t wait to destroy it. Now, we are reaping the negatives of a demoralized and wounded “Agriprocessors”.
So, the lesson:
When “Agriprocessors” gets back up on its feet, let’s be thankful.
i used to work in wal-mart for rubashkin’s and they messed themselves over by delivering more than wat was needed in a short amount of time and then didnt want to give wal-mart the credit for the expired meat they did not sell
It’s the nine days. that could be why they haven’t delivered meat.
Good excuse for raising prices.
Nu, so don’t eat meat.
Are people really more concerned about having a luxury item on their table than whether or not people’s life and limb are risked to get it there?
-micha
our heart’s and prayers is that they get back to normel,and the anti-semetic shmir would stop.
We all nead you Rubashkin
the sihn in Shoprite has been up there for years. people ask for specific cuts, which they do not always have, so they are letting you know hat they only ahve what they get- it has nothing to do with any shortage
Penny wise; pound foolish. Agriprocessors should feel a responsibility to the community. Hiring any, let alone so many illegal invaders, was wrong. The legal issues of illegals (illegal means against the law), has been going on for a long time. Talk of deportations, fining employers, etc. has been going on a long time.
Ok, a mistake was made. Management and personnel should take paycuts and hopefully they will rebound soon, with G-d’s help.
This should be an example for all whose business hinge on illegal criminals. As you know the repercussions of illegals runs much deeper in draining the resources reserved for tax paying Americans.
Hope they will be able to re-build soon and become even bigger then before.
they are slowing production because moshiach is coming.
we want moshiach now!!!!
#10 What does one have to do with another?
Our local supermarked had in the past only carried Agri meats. Now, since the shortage, between a third and half of the kosher meats in their case is labeled as Alle – Meal Mart.
veryinteresting —
Why not cut management some slack in their insistence that the illegals provided convincing fake documentation? A private enterprise cannot conduct a security investigation into every document an employee presents to determine its legitimacy. The fault lies with the illegals, who aside from breaking into this country illegally, committed identity theft posing as legal citizens, and managements was as much a victim as anyone.
#10 What does Moshiach have to do with Rubashkin meat?
When Moshiach comes we will be eating Livyoson and not Rubashkin!
Seems to me this is all about nothing. I havent noticed shortages at all. Perhaps certain cuts but big deal. Part of the cut thing has to do with more being processed in Argi as opposed to on store level. This is fallout from an incident in Monsey.
You cant have it BOTH ways.
#13, Joseph.
Your point is well made. There is considerable false documentation by illegals. If they can obtain motor vehicle documentation so easily from states like North Carolina and Pennsylvania, which in turn requires other documents that had to be acquired by fraud, then this may have added to the problem considerably.
Let some group of honest b’nei Torah businessmen get together and start a new legal kosher meat business.
pround KAJ: i was just about to say that. great idea