Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic

By Tom Polansek | 12 April 2020

REUTERS — Smithfield Foods, the world’s biggest pork processor, said on Sunday it will shut a U.S. plant indefinitely due to a rash of coronavirus cases among employees and warned the country was moving “perilously close to the edge” in supplies for grocers.

Slaughterhouse shutdowns are disrupting the U.S. food supply chain, crimping availability of meat at retail stores and leaving farmers without outlets for their livestock.

Smithfield extended the closure of its Sioux Falls, South Dakota, plant after initially saying it would idle temporarily for cleaning. The facility is one of the nation’s largest pork processing facilities, representing 4% to 5% of U.S. pork production, according to the company.

South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said on Saturday that 238 Smithfield employees had active cases of the new coronavirus, accounting for 55% of the state’s total. Noem and the mayor of Sioux Falls had recommended the company shut the plant, which has about 3,700 workers, for at least two weeks. […]

5 Comments on Smithfield shutting U.S. pork plant indefinitely, warns of meat shortages during pandemic

  1. It’s all a big joke.
    Yes, Covid-19 has a slightly higher morbidity rate than the H1N1 (Swine flu) outbreak during the Obama administration. Should the entire country have been shut down?
    Some people feel always feel, the ends justify the means.
    I don’t feel that way.
    Other than New York City being a hot spot, because of “diversity” and Hasidic Jews refusing to observe social distancing, it’s hard to calculate any benefit to the rest of Fly Over Country from having the country shut down.
    Note- How do the slaughterhouses staffed with legal and illegal Mexicans compare to those staffed with mostly Americans (I.E. those in Sioux City, Iowa).
    Most of the Covid-19 outbreaks could all have been prevented, IF IF IF the USA had a real immigration policy and real sanctions for violating that policy in place.

    If Trump is dumb enough to let this continue, until there are food shortages, then he will do badly in his re-election.
    I wish everybody well. Stay safe.

  2. LOL let them burn!
    I once bought a smithfield pork loin from Wally world and took it home and noticed there was a metal spring packaged inside of it. F-ers sold out to China so they deserve bankruptcy

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