A University of Nebraska at Lincoln agricultural economist has received a grant from the U-S Department of Agriculture to research the meat packing industry.  Azzeddine Azzam says the grant of more than $200,000 will look at the perceptions of the meat packing industry prior to, and following the COVID-19 pandemic.  Azzam says another area of focus of his research will be to determine what are the short-term and long-term implications of expanding capacity within the small meat packing plants, including local locker facilities.  The UNL economist says his study will examine 571 meat packing plants and will take two years.