Meatpacking plants in the Midwest from Kansas to Iowa have been hit hard with coronavirus AKA SARS CoV-2 or Covid-19, spiking the price of pork, beef and chicken products in grocery stores around the country. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly asked that plants be supplied with more Personal Protective Gear [PPG] to protect workers and keep plants operating, fearing meat shortages around the country. South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem shuttered a meatpacking plant due to rampant Covid-19 infections among workers. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds warned about costs of closing pork plants, especially in Dubuque, where many Easter hams have been on America’s tables for over 100 years. JBS USA acknowledged closing its pork processing operation on Southern Minnesota because of workers stricken with Covid-19, at least 33 employees and close relatives tested positive, forcing the plant to close.
Meat processing workers are susceptible to the virus because of the close proximity of employees, spreading the highly contagious coronavirus to line workers. “We don’t make this decision lightly,” said Bob Krebs in a prepared statement, President of Colorado-based JBS USA Pork. “We recognize JBS Worthington is critical to local hog producers, the U.S. food supply and the many businesses that support the facility,” said Krebs, acknowledging that the plant employs 2,000 workers. Without proper mitigation measures, the U.S. meat supply could be jeopardy due to the lack of enforcement in the more independent Midwest where “shelter in place” orders and social distancing aren’t enforced like in urban areas. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds stated she’s working with meatpackers to test employees to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks at Tyson Foods, where dozens were afflicted in Waterloo, Iowa.
Tyson’s one of Iowa’s largest employers supplying pork products to the nation. “These are also essential businesses and an essential workforce,” Reynolds said, noting the importance to the nation’s food supply. “Without them, people’s lives and our food supply will be impacted. So we must do our part to keep them open in a safe and responsible way,” Reynolds said. Reynold’s acutely aware of the importance to Iowa of its meatpacking industry, not something she can shutter without severe consequences to Iowa’s farmers and citizens dependent on the plants in question. Iowa produces about one-third of the nation’s pork supply. Shuttering Iowa’s meatpacking plants could cause shortages of pork products around the country. “Were not that far from it and I will be devastating, not only for the food supply bur for the cost of food moving forward,” Reynolds said.
Iowa has a diverse work force employing many Latin American newcomers to the United States, many of whom are undocumented immigrants. “It’s sickening,” said State Sen. Bill Dozier (D-Iowa), calling for temporary closures until plants can be sanitized and workers can get appropriate medical care. Dozier confirmed that medical clinics and hospitals in Waterloo are at overflow capacity, largely from the Tyson plant. A National Beef plant in Tama, Iowa has been closed for two weeks, causing shortages around the country. Reynolds admitted that 177 out of 500 workers tested positive for Covid-19, showing how it’s damaged Iowa’s workforce. Kansas City-based Cargill and National Beef account for 25% to 30% of the nation’s beef processing supply in the U.S. Closing plants have real consequences for price-and-availability of beef products that wind up in retail grocery chains.
Kansas Gov. Kelly said closing the plants would have disastrous consequences on the nation’s processed beef supply. “It would be a disaster if we had to shut down, so we’re trying to do everything we can to keep those plants online,” Kelly said, including testing and getting medical treatment for infected workers. South Dakota’s Gov. Noem said the temporary closure of Sioux Falls-based Smithfield Foods had already cut 5% of the regional pork supply. Noem is busy working with the Centers for Disease Control [CDC] to get workers the proper kind of face-shields and personal protective gear for meatpacking workers. “There’s nothing in this report that I think will be difficult to accomplish,” Noem said, showing tenacity in keeping South Dakota’s meatpacking businesses open. When you consider the way other governors shut down major industries, Midwest governors do the opposite.
When you look at unique problems of meatpacking plants, it’s remarkable that governors play such and active role in keeping businesses open in the time of coronavirus. Governors in more urban areas should take their lead from the Midwest where entire communities depend for employment on large meat processing plants as integral parts of rural communities. Like mini-cities, meatpacking plants have unique demographics where workers close proximity, like riding subways in big cities, leaving them more vulnerable to coronavirus. With 73-year-old President Donald Trump announcing an executive order to temporarily stop all immigration to the United States, meatpacking plants rely on Latin American immigrant workers, whether documented or not. Elected officials and meatpacking plants want to keep the workforce healthy to keep producing the nation’s meat supply.
