If you’re one of the many who adopted a four-legged friend during the pandemic, take note: there is currently a pet food shortage across the U.S. According to comments made during Global Pet Expo (GPE) Digital Access 2021 by Steve King, president and CEO of the American Pet Products Association (APPA), the pandemic has led to pet food and pet product supply issues and transportation issues, Supermarket News reports. King noted that a 9.7 percent increase in pet food sales between 2019 and 2020 had put a strain on supply chains that are already struggling with a shortage of raw materials needed to make the products. Worker safety protocols at production facilities and labor shortages are also playing a factor in the supply chain hiccup. If your cat or dog has particular tastes, the current shortage might be especially challenging. Canned wet pet food is in particularly short supply thanks to a surge in demand and existing production limitations, Sumit Singh, CEO of online pet supply company Chewy, says. “Wet food is a really popular category within pet food, and it makes up roughly 20 percent or 30 percent of the category,” Singh told Yahoo Finance Live in late March. He noted that only “three or four manufacturers produce wet canned food in the United States” that already enjoyed high sales when the surge of demand hit during the pandemic. “So as a result, you have an imbalance and a bit of a shortage,” Singh explained. And for more on major retail changes, This One Thing Is Disappearing From Walmarts Nationwide. King pointed out that the recent boom in pet purchases, which surged to new heights during the pandemic, meant that there would be a continued demand on essential everyday pet care items like food. He predicted that the current shortages could carry on through the end of the year and into 2022.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb Singh also forecasted that it would take some time for the supply issues to be ironed out. “The shortage is at the industrywide level, so like isolated out-of-stocks,” he told Yahoo Finance Live. “We are working very closely with these manufacturers and vendors to be able to course-correct. It’s going to take a few months before new capacity comes online, but ultimately there should be new capacity released into the marketplace, and the situation should go back to normal.” For now, organizations are pleading with the public not to create another toilet paper-style supply crisis in supermarkets. “The Pet Food Institute (PFI) strongly encourages shoppers to only purchase the amount food they would regularly need,” Dana Brooks, president and CEO of the Washington, D.C.-based Pet Food Institute, said in an interview with NBC-affiliate WGRZ in Western New York. “Be assured that America’s pet food makers are working to safely produce food for your pets, and we recommend contacting the individual company for assistance regarding a specific dog or cat food product,” she added. And for more on things that have suddenly gone missing from some physical retail locations, This One Thing Is Disappearing From 300 Walmart Stores.
