Notre Dame expert: South Dakota pork plant closure will reduce nation’s meat supply, impact entire supply chain
13-Apr-2020 5:05 PM EDT
, by University of Notre Dame
....”Just as we have seen the effects of coronavirus within other industries, these plant closures will disrupt the entire pork supply chain—from the livestock farmers to the consumers who purchase pork products,” Foster said....
“Meat products are perishable and because they require cold storage, there’s also limited storage capacity,” Foster explained, “making it difficult to carry a large amount of inventory. Once the existing inventory is used up, consumers can expect to see smaller quantities of pork products in stores due to processing plant closures.
U.S. Backs Contentious Meat-Plant Changes With Supply at Risk
Deena Shanker and Lydia Mulvany, Bloomberg News
(Bloomberg) — As American meat producers are forced to shutter and slow output at plants amid coronavirus outbreaks, the U.S. government is giving companies a green light to run some facilities at higher speeds — something experts and labor advocates have long said is dangerous for workers.
In April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service allowed five poultry plants — two owned by Tyson Foods Inc., and three by Wayne Farms LLC — to run their slaughter lines at higher speeds. The agency also gave approval to Foster Farms in March.
https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/u-s-backs-contentious-meat-plant-changes-with-supply-at-risk-1.1420983
Current meat packing/processing plants affected:
Smithfield, in SD (293 cases, closed)
JBS in Greeley, CO (2, deaths, 14 hospitalized, 300 sick, closed 2 weeks)
JBS in Grand Island, NE (28 sick)
JBS in Souderton, PA (shut until April 16)
Cargill in Hazelton, PA (160 test positive, closed until further notice)
Tyson in Camilla, GA - 3 deaths ? infections
Tyson in Columbus Junction, IA (24 cases, Closed for a week)
National Beef Packing Co, Tampa, IA (shut until April 13)
Aurora Packing Company, Aurora, IL (closed until ?)
Sanderson Farms Inc, Moultrie, Georgia (reducing operations by 300k birds)
CANADA
Harmony Beef in Alberta (shut two days)
Maple Leaf Foods (3 cases, closed)
Olymel pork plant in Quebec, (shut March 29, 50 workers sick)
We gave up beef due to the price. Now, we’ll have to give up pork because the price will go up. I’d say we’re going to be stuck with just chicken quarters but those will go up, too.