CRISIS Meat Processing Plants Suspend Operations After Workers Fall Ill

zeker

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Agreed, but with a caveat. The vast majority of people now days don't have the equipment to hunt or fish. Of those that do the majority don't have a clue what to do with it. So keeping your fish and or game may be harder than harvesting it.

that is when the thieves come out

I just yesterday, put a huge padlock on my building with the freezer in it
 

Capt. Eddie

Veteran Member
that is when the thieves come out

I just yesterday, put a huge padlock on my building with the freezer in it
Yeah, this is more of what I was referring to, although lack of processing and preserving skills will be a huge problem like Mecoastie mentioned.

I'm pretty proficient at harvesting fish and game, but if someone snipes me from across the river while I'm fishing then my stringer of catfish becomes theirs. Same thing if I'm loading a deer in my truck and get ambushed.

Whether they will know what to do with the meat they just killed me for is another story, but I suspect those that don't know how to feed themselves in the first place won't think that far ahead.
 

vestige

Deceased
Yeah, this is more of what I was referring to, although lack of processing and preserving skills will be a huge problem like Mecoastie mentioned.

I'm pretty proficient at harvesting fish and game, but if someone snipes me from across the river while I'm fishing then my stringer of catfish becomes theirs. Same thing if I'm loading a deer in my truck and get ambushed.

Whether they will know what to do with the meat they just killed me for is another story, but I suspect those that don't know how to feed themselves in the first place won't think that far ahead.

I don't think we are quite at that level... yet... but I will not be surprised if we descend to that level in time.

By that level I am referring to the possibility of having to have an armed watchman while you harvest garden yields or hunting/fishing yields.
 

Capt. Eddie

Veteran Member
I don't think we are quite at that level... yet... but I will not be surprised if we descend to that level in time.

By that level I am referring to the possibility of having to have an armed watchman while you harvest garden yields or hunting/fishing yields.
Agreed, and in many places I don't think we will get to that level.

Garden work should be easier to control, security wise, since I control the ground around my garden(s).
 

mourningdove

Pura Vida in my garden
that is when the thieves come out

I just yesterday, put a huge padlock on my building with the freezer in it

That is my concern. Yes, we are armed and could probably handle 2 or 3. But what about roving gangs? Who could stop something like that? My heart goes out to those in the big cities. I know they are at greater risk than I am, but we are not risk free.
 

Melodi

Disaster Cat
In the UK they are already dumping milk not he ground (one farmer got a text from his company that the truck wasn't coming about 5 minutes before the milk was to be picked up) and meat cattle farmers are finding it impossible to sell their cattle because people stocked up on hamburger and skipped the expensive cuts and now even the "cold storage" in shops is full.

Some have already gone out of business so for beef there is a temporary glut which will likely be followed by shortages and despite the milk being thrown away, the shops are rationing it to consumers because many of the farmers are in contracts to one company (usually a commercial producer for the industry) and since they don't have any customers they are not picking up the milk and the farmers can not legally sell it elsewhere nor do they have the means to do so.

Irish Beef farmers who normally rely on exports are also in a bind, though so far I think the milk is mostly being used the long-term outlook is really bleak.

Both Ireland and the UK are much smaller than the US so some things are easier to sort out but other things can break down much more rapidly.
 

mecoastie

Veteran Member
I don't think we are quite at that level... yet... but I will not be surprised if we descend to that level in time.

By that level I am referring to the possibility of having to have an armed watchman while you harvest garden yields or hunting/fishing yields.
This why having good neighbors/family/group is so important. You aren't going to make it alone.
 

pauldingbabe

The Great Cat
There was a story about the Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, SD this morning, too. Will see if I can find it.





More than 80 coronavirus cases confirmed at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls

Megan Raposa and Joe Sneve, Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Published 1:51 p.m. CT April 8, 2020 | Updated 5:14 p.m. CT April 8, 2020
More than 80 coronavirus cases confirmed at Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls


More than 80 employees at a Sioux Falls food processing business have tested positive for the coronavirus, Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon confirmed Wednesday.

"There are a number of cases connected, that number has changed every day," Malsam-Rysdon said.

She added that the more than 80 confirmed cases were employees, and that number did not include others who may have become infected from those employees.

Malsam-Rysdon said they were continuing to use contact tracing — a process where those who may have been in close contact with an infected individual are monitored for signs of infection — with positive cases, and that "at this point we do not feel that there is a risk to folks outside of the individuals impacted."

Smithfield Foods, Inc. saw its first positive case on March 26, and nearly a week prior officials said the plant would maintain normal operations and would not close or send employees home amid the new coronavirus pandemic.

Smithfield's cases represent more than one-third of the total cases in the county and one-fifth of the cases in the state. Minnehaha County has 228 confirmed cases and South Dakota has 393.

On Wednesday morning, Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken noted "hot spots" for coronavirus spread in the city, but he would not confirm if Smithfield was one of those hot spots.
Smithfield Foods, Inc. employees wear masks as they leave at the end of their shift on Wednesday, April 8, at the food processing plant in Sioux Falls.
Buy Photo
Smithfield Foods, Inc. employees wear masks as they leave at the end of their shift on Wednesday, April 8, at the food processing plant in Sioux Falls. (Photo: Erin Bormett / Argus Leader)



Smithfield has 3,600 employees in Sioux Falls and 40,000 nationwide.

Public officials in Sioux Falls and South Dakota attempted to assure the public Wednesday that Smithfield is taking the proper steps to ensure safety of both its employees and customers.

"We believe that the employer is taking appropriate action," Gov. Kristi Noem said during an afternoon news conference.

TenHaken said in an emailed statement to the Argus Leader late Wednesday afternoon that his office is in contact with Smithfield Foods and offering any support it can.

"The city is actively supporting the efforts of the state and Smithfield to reduce the spread of COVID-19," he wrote. "We’re in close communication with the leadership at Smithfield and the state and will continue to support both with resources they may need."

It’s unclear what additional steps Smithfield Foods is taking as a result of the outbreak in Sioux Falls.

Questions directed to Smithfield’s media and marketing department were not immediately answered Wednesday, but the company issued a statement later in the day saying it's "instituted a series of stringent and detailed processes and protocols" to follow CDC guidelines.

"These include mandatory 14-day COVID-19 related quarantines with pay as an uncompromising effort to protect our dedicated employees," said Keira Lombardo, Smithfield's executive vice president of corporate affairs and compliance. "We’ve also relaxed attendance policies to eliminate any punitive effect for missing work due to COVID-19 diagnosis or quarantine."

Around the country, meat packing plants have temporarily closed or shifted operations after COVID-19 cases spiked there. For instance, Tyson Foods, Inc. closed some plants in Iowa earlier this week after dozens of workers tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

And JBS Beef in Pennsylvania scaled back hours of production after employees their began spreading the disease among one other.

Guidelines from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and President Donald Trump consider meat packers "critical infrastructure industry" that need to remain open during the pandemic.

Dr. Dustin Oedekoven, the state veterinarian for South Dakota and the executive secretary for the South Dakota Animal Industry Board overseeing animal and public health and food safety, told the Argus Leader that continuing operations at the not just the plant in Sioux Falls but those across the state is paramount amid a pandemic so as not to slow food production or further disrupt the economy for South Dakota meat producers.

“It’s such a big impact to our economy to keep those plants open,” he said. “If we cannot get finished animals to slaughter, you start having real issues and backups in the farms.”

While COVID-19 is new, coronavirus strains typically found in animals are not, he said.

That’s why Oedekoven and the food safety industry is confident consumers during the pandemic are not at risk of being infected through the meat products.

What we know about coronaviruses is they are not a food born illness,” he said. “There’s no risk or concern for a foodborne illness.”


Doesn't that bolded part kinda blow a hole in china's story of a Wuhan wet market?

???

???

WTF???
 

pauldingbabe

The Great Cat
Yes it was. He was interviewing Congressman Thomas Massie from Kentucky. He said we are weeks away from a huge food shortage. Not only are the meat processors shutting down, but also the 'feed' producers. So there will be a feed shortage. You can turn cows out on grass, but the chicken and turkey and pork producers will be in a real fix.


This post right here is why Whole Foods and Lidl have closed food distribution systems for almost everything. They track it from conception to consumption.

All of Lidl write offs and waste goes directly into trucks that take it directly to the contracted farms for animal feed.

Not a lot of waste at Lidl Inc. and they have their own supply chain and drivers.
 

TxGal

Day by day
that is when the thieves come out

I just yesterday, put a huge padlock on my building with the freezer in it

We put padlocks on all our poultry housing (ducks and chickens). Cattle are in the pasture next to our house at night. Next we'll be locking the trash cans with chicken feed. Solar security lights around poultry houses and main house which also covers the gardens, and game cameras going up in all pastures. Just not taking any chances, even out in the country.
 

agmfan3

Veteran Member
Local meat guy gets calls from his reps daily, trucks are coming 1 and 2 times a day, no shortage in W KY, chicken, beef and pork, he had pork butts last week for 89 cents a pound.
 

Orion Commander

Veteran Member
that would make more sense....to a point. the customers may not be allowed to buy the merchandise.
I haven't been to Wal Mart but y hear you can go buo groceries and pharmacy items but the rest of the store is closed to purchasing. Most all of our stores are closed. Sam's sells a lot of groceries and we can buy everything else. Main Street is all closed up.
 

Orion Commander

Veteran Member
In the UK they are already dumping milk not he ground (one farmer got a text from his company that the truck wasn't coming about 5 minutes before the milk was to be picked up) and meat cattle farmers are finding it impossible to sell their cattle because people stocked up on hamburger and skipped the expensive cuts and now even the "cold storage" in shops is full.

Some have already gone out of business so for beef there is a temporary glut which will likely be followed by shortages and despite the milk being thrown away, the shops are rationing it to consumers because many of the farmers are in contracts to one company (usually a commercial producer for the industry) and since they don't have any customers they are not picking up the milk and the farmers can not legally sell it elsewhere nor do they have the means to do so.

Irish Beef farmers who normally rely on exports are also in a bind, though so far I think the milk is mostly being used the long-term outlook is really bleak.

Both Ireland and the UK are much smaller than the US so some things are easier to sort out but other things can break down much more rapidly.
If the processor fails to pick up the milk or other farm production they breeched the contract. If I was the farmer I would then sell it wherever to whomever. Even if I had to give it away or 10¢ on the dollar. Or giving it to a food pantry. Raw milk can be pasteurized without fancy equipment I would think. A pot and thermometer should do it.
 

Millwright

Knuckle Dragger
_______________
If the processor fails to pick up the milk or other farm production they breeched the contract. If I was the farmer I would then sell it wherever to whomever. Even if I had to give it away or 10¢ on the dollar.

Not many people can deal with thousands of gallons of milk tho.

Farmer probably can't even give it away unpasteurized...legally.
 

parocan

Veteran Member
Bet he could turn his back or go to town. If a thief takes milk while he's away.....

Drink raw milk or starve? Decisions decisions
I grew up on raw milk, it's the best. Never take a swig from the milk bottle though
unless ya remembered to shake it lol.
 

rafter

Since 1999
Do you think it could be because too much has been sucked into the pipe line already and that is causing the low prices or is it something else? Like no one to process the beef in a timely manner?

Found out more from my horse trainer that works the sale every week. The price of cows are down...but not drastically. A cow ready for butcher is running a dollar a pound. The problem, and I have heard it many times, is that the middle man (the processors) are jacking the price to the wholesaler.... This is why we are paying $3+ a pound for hamburger. Add that to the fact that the processors are shutting down because of sick workers and not enough workers to run the plants, that is going to cause and will cause the prices to go up even more at the grocery stores.

The ranchers are still holding back cows waiting for the prices to go up. The sale Wednesday had 1200 head vs the usual 2K-2500.

The supply chain has a major kink. Of course it is going to carry over into other meats especially if there is a feed shortage. My SIL works for Purina. I'll see how it goes there over the weekend. That would say something about the small farmer. Tyson has their own feed plants.
 

rafter

Since 1999
I haven't been to Wal Mart but y hear you can go buo groceries and pharmacy items but the rest of the store is closed to purchasing. Most all of our stores are closed. Sam's sells a lot of groceries and we can buy everything else. Main Street is all closed up.
I was in Walmart Monday (first time in a month). I walked thru the whole store and could have bought anything I wanted. Nothing roped off anywhere. I did notice that the store isn't as full as it has always been on the non grocery side, but I just figure that is because the shortages are starting to hit as nothing coming from China.
 

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
Found out more from my horse trainer that works the sale every week. The price of cows are down...but not drastically. A cow ready for butcher is running a dollar a pound. The problem, and I have heard it many times, is that the middle man (the processors) are jacking the price to the wholesaler.... This is why we are paying $3+ a pound for hamburger. Add that to the fact that the processors are shutting down because of sick workers and not enough workers to run the plants, that is going to cause and will cause the prices to go up even more at the grocery stores.

The ranchers are still holding back cows waiting for the prices to go up. The sale Wednesday had 1200 head vs the usual 2K-2500.

The supply chain has a major kink. Of course it is going to carry over into other meats especially if there is a feed shortage. My SIL works for Purina. I'll see how it goes there over the weekend. That would say something about the small farmer. Tyson has their own feed plants.
Either way it doesn't look good for the moderate term.
 

20Gauge

TB Fanatic
About the supply chain. Went to go buy a carb for a weedeater of mine, (14 years old), and the price of one is now nearly $90. They were $12 all day long before.
 

Hfcomms

EN66iq
If the already thin grocery shelves get to looking thinner, some people will come unglued. Three meals away from anarchy and all that.

Every week now I’m seeing more and more holes and less stock. It’s a trend and Americans are not used to thin supermarket shelves.
 
I have 2 very small apt fridges and a small freezer in each one. I can't stock up on frozen meat either. I think i will just have to buy more spam and stuff like that. I do have chicken and hot dogs and sausage in the fridge part and no more room.
 
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