Meatpacking plant in Colorado Springs sees increase in production

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- The meat shortage continues here in southern Colorado and around the country with the U.S. Department of Agriculture reporting meat production is down about 25 percent compared to this time last year.

As many plants sit idle because of COVID-19, Ranch Foods Direct, a local meat processing plant is working hard to increase their production.

With restaurants closed for so long and meatpacking plants becoming a hotspot for the virus, there hasn't been the same production in many facilities nationwide.

"The wholesale business that accommodates the people who eat out, that business is gone," said Mike Callicrate, founder of Ranch Foods Direct.

He says outbreaks have become a problem in part because of extremely tight working conditions.

"In the big plants, where they're running 400 head an hour, everyone is shoulder to shoulder at their tables," he said.

It's something Callicrate says the 30 employees at Ranch Foods Direct haven't practiced, even before COVID-19.

"You can see in this plant, people are scattered out," he said.

The shutdown has caused production to get so low, last week President Donald Trump took executive action to keep meat-processing plants open.

Callicrate says COVID-19 has brought quite different experiences for them, especially as a smaller meatpacking plant.

"We have our own supply chain," he said. "We slaughter, process and package all of it ourselves."

In turn, it's brought them more business.

"We're running about two and a half our normal volume and we're keeping up OK," Callicrate said.

He hopes this serves as a reminder to the community that small meatpacking plants still exist and is another way to help small business.