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In case you are living on an isolated island, the meat and poultry processing industry in this country has been shutting down plants due to the Covid19 plague. These are companies that employ thousands of workers, some of whom are bringing the virus to work with them. As a result, poultry, beef and hog producers\/farmers are having to euthanize the most recently produced young livestock, which cuts into the supply chain drastically.\u00a0 By mostly recently produced, I mean piglets, calves and pullets.<\/p>\n
However, Pres. Trump has issued an executive order to keep meat processing plants open and not break the food supply chain.\u00a0 https:\/\/www.fool.com\/investing\/2020\/04\/28\/tyson-and-hormel-shares-edge-higher-as-president-t.aspx<\/a><\/p>\n The executive order will reportedly mandate that all plants handling pork, chicken, and beef remain open, along with egg processing facilities. The order will apply to Tyson, Hormel,\u00a0Pilgrim’s Pride<\/strong>\u00a0(NASDAQ:PPC<\/a>), Smithfield Foods, and other food companies.<\/p>\n ‘In addition to classifying the food facilities as critical infrastructure, the administration plans to work to establish additional health standards to increase employee safety while on the job. The guidance might include a recommendation that workers over 65 years old and others vulnerable to the novel coronavirus remain home.<\/p>\n Trump informed reporters today that he is consulting with Tyson Foods executives while developing the government’s response to the potential food crisis. The president also remarked he is “going to sign an executive order today I believe, and that will solve any liability problems, and they had certain liability problems,” according to The Hill.”\u00a0 – article<\/p>\n Note: Pilgrim\u2019s Pride (PPC) processes poultry, mostly chicken and turkey, for both commercial (restaurants) and public markets (grocery stores).<\/p>\n https:\/\/komonews.com\/news\/coronavirus\/shoppers-can-expect-meat-shortages-as-processing-plants-shut-down<\/a> – This article addresses\u00a0 meat processing companies that have shut down plants.<\/p>\n “On Tuesday, the UFCW responded to reports that President Trump would soon order to keep meatpacking plants to remain open. The union reiterated its call for the federal government to establish “clear and enforceable safety standards” for the industry, aimed at protecting workers.<\/p>\n Smithfield denied accusations that its employees were forced to report to work when they were sick and said it had raised workers’ wages by $3 per hour during the pandemic. It also shot down allegations that it failed to provide masks to workers, explaining the supplies “were not readily available.” – article<\/p>\n https:\/\/jbssa.com\/about\/news\/2020\/04-26\/#<\/a><\/p>\n JBS USA operates more than 60 meat, poultry and prepared foods facilities across the United States. The Green Bay beef facility is the fourth JBS USA plant to temporarily close to help slow community spread, joining the Souderton, Pa., beef production facility and the Greeley, Colo., beef production facility, both of which have reopened, and the Worthington, Minn., pork facility that remains closed. – article<\/p>\n THe Delmarva area has a large number of processing plants. One company, Allen Harim Foods, had to euthanize 2 million chickens becuase there are too few workers to process them:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.fooddive.com\/news\/2m-chickens-euthanized-as-coronavirus-shuts-down-meat-processors\/576879\/<\/a><\/p>\n “Some processors that saw demand drop because of restaurant and hotel closures have been selling larger packages of chicken to consumers from trucks stationed at volunteer fire departments around the Eastern Shore, Fisher said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n The Delmarva Poultry trade group said the impact of COVID-19 on the chicken industry has become more apparent as the disease has spread, with reduced attendance at plants across the peninsula.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cSome of Delmarva\u2019s processing plants are operating below their normal capacity, although other plants are operating normally,\u201d Delmarva Poultry said in a statement. \u201cPlant capacity can change day to day, depending on attendance, and predicting capacity is difficult.\u201d – article<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n