McDonald’s has announced that it will bring back its seasonal and iconic McRib sandwich this year. The McRib has almost a cultish following. In fact, there is a “McRib locator” blog on the internet, because not only is the sandwich seasonal, typically it’s regional as well. But in 2020 it will be available nationally, adding about 40 percent more stores than in 2019. The regionality thing is mostly marketing - in some areas of the country it is just not as big a hit as it is in other areas. But in the COVID era, comfort food rules.  But the real driver of the seasonality is the supply of pork. The sandwich is made from the shoulder butt primal (and trimmings). Look at the monthly average prices of that primal,...

TAGS – Livestock, North America