The Department of Defense has a reputation for wasting a lot of money, but in at least one case the Pentagon has found a way to save money.

 

Because of this year’s drought, the meat industry has been forced to drop its prices. The military already buys about 94 million pounds of beef, 64 million pounds of pork, and 500,000 pounds of lamb a year, and doesn’t really need more. But it’s hard to resist a bargain, so the Defense Logistics Agency is negotiating to take advantage of the reduced prices to purchase more meat and freeze it for future use.

 

The Pentagon is promoting the expenditure as a magnanimous gesture to help the beef, pork and lamb industries, but economists warn that the extra purchases will have only a tiny effect on the crisis, in which the drought damaged the corn crop, which is used to feed livestock. This raised the price of growing animals and has forced producers to sell their cows, pigs and lamb early.

-David Wallechinsky

 

 To Learn More:

DOD to Review Meat Purchases During Drought (U.S. Department of Defense)

Pentagon's Stimulus Plan: Buy More Meat (by Tom Shoop, Government Executive)

Feds To Buy More Meat During Drought (by Jennifer Rizzo, CNN)