Livestock farming across Kentucky has experienced challenges during the pandemic. One central Kentucky farmer says it’s improving, but the timeline of getting meat to customer remains long.
Multi-generational farmer Stewart Hughes’ Scott County operation includes direct marketing of beef to consumers. He says Kentucky’s 25 to 35 processors have been overwhelmed by the demand for local beef, pork, and chicken. Hughes said a typical couple of months processing might now take six to eight months. He says some farmers opt for the traditional stockyards route. “This year was obviously the largest demand we’ve ever had. We usually do sell some cattle to the yard, the stockyards. But, this year, we’re going to be able to move everything direct to consumers,” said Hughes.
Hughes says $1.5 million in state ag development money is going to assist processing plants with expansions. The Georgetown farmer noted that could help some operations upgrade by 20 to 50%. Hughes added his farm features just over a hundred cows along with corn, soybean, and vegetables for farmer’s markets.
Here's more with Georgetown Livestock Farmer Stewart Hughes:
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