Farmers across America are calling the meat shortage nonsense. At worst some of your favorite cuts may not be available at your local grocery store. Here is one example...
Coronavirus Illinois: Farmers don't expect meat shortage, but variety could be impacted amid COVID-19 pandemic
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The nation's food supply chain is being hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and farmers in Illinois are feeling the impact.
"It has really turned our world upside down and about inside out," said Rich Guebert, president of the Illinois Farm Bureau.
The major disruption follows the closure of many of the country's largest meat processing plants. The plants have been forced to close down over COVID-19 concerns.
"There is not a supply issue," said Jennifer Tirey, executive director for the Illinois Pork Producers Association. "There are plenty of hogs. We do have a disruption in the way that we are distributing our meat to grocery stores."
Just in the last week, Smithfield Foods one of the country's leading protein distributors closed down two Illinois plants: the dry sausage facility in St. Charles and the processing plant in Monmouth. The Monmouth location alone produces 3 percent of the nation's pork.
President Trump is
expected to sign an executive order compelling the nation's meatpacking plants to stay open as part of "critical infrastructure."
"Once they can make sure their workers are safe, those frontline individuals are critical for us to keep moving our product to consumers," Tirey said.
The Illinois Pork Producers Association and the Illinois Farm Bureau do not expect a shortage of meat at the stores, but say there might be less variety.
"Do not be afraid that your meat is not going to be available," Tirey said. "It just may be different timing for how they are going to get it."
Illinois is the fourth biggest pork producer in the country, and the state's pork farmers are losing big money as they try and find an open processing plant.
"Right now they are losing money drastically," Tirey said. "It is a dire situation for our farmers."
Tirey and Guebert are reminding consumers to not panic buy meat products.
"If people start hoarding meat products like toilet paper, it will compound the problem," Guebert said.
"If they cannot find it in the meat case, it is not because our farmers are not working hard to provide it," Tirey said. "It is a distribution issue, where getting it to the grocery stores could cause problems."
