They could increase production, but often choose not to, which keeps prices higher. JBS recently settled a $52.5 million lawsuit for price fixing. They admitted no wrong doing, but agreed that it was “in the best interest of the company” to settle. Uh huh.
I think it would be terribly tough to increase production. You can really only raise so many animals effectively and there are always issues to contend with weather-wise and then disease. They just wiped out all the turkeys in Meeker county due to Avian flu.
Its wild what some foreign countries are trying to do. Overseas they want to reduce the number of cattle to fight air pollution from their flatulence. Its really mind blowing what ends some people will go to in the name of climate change.