Smithfield pork plant closure could hurt country's meat supply

Smithfield pork plant closure could hurt country's meat supply

LARGEST PORKPRODUCER, HAS SHUTDOWN ITS SIOUXFALLS, SOUTH DAKOTAPLANT DUE TOHUNDREDS OFPOSITIVECORONAVIRUS CASES.FOOD EXPERTS SAYCLOSING A PLANT OFTHIS SIZE WILL HAVEREPERCUSSIONSACROSS THE ENTIRECOUNTRY'S FOODSUPPLY.REPORTER RUTAULCINAITE HAS MOREON HOW THE CLOSINGOF THE SIOUX FALLSPLANT COULD AFFECTFOOD SUPPLY HERE.THE SMITHFIELDPLANT IN SIOUXFALLS IS ONE OF THELARGEST IN THECOUNTRY ANDACCOUNTS FORNEARLY 5% OF THENATION'S PORKPRODUCTION.THE CLOSING OFTHIS PLANT DUE TOCOVID-19OUTBREAKS AMONGEMPLOYEES, PUTSTHE ENTIRECOUNTRY'S MEATSUPPLY IN LIMBO.AL JUHNKE -EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,NEBRASKA PORKPRODUCERSASSOCIATION 04: 15"WELL SMITHFIELD ISPROBABLY THELARGEST PORKPROCESSOR IN THEUNITED STATES SOANYTIME THATTHERE'S A HICCUPWITHIN THE SYSTEM,SMITHFIELD BEINGONE OF THE LARGERIN THE U.S., IT WILLHAVE AN AFFECTON THE OVERALLMEAT SUPPLY."NOW LOCALFARMERS THATWORKED WITHTHAT PLANT ANDSENT PIGS THERE,WILL HAVE TO FINDNEW PLANTS ORCOMPANIES TOWORK WITH.BUT DOING THAT ASRETAURANTSREMAIN CLOSEDAND COVID-19ESCALATES, WILL BEDIFFICULT.AL JUHNKE -EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,NEBRASKA PORKPRODUCERSASSOCIATION 04:51"THERE IS SOMEPOSSIBILITY THATSOME OF THIS MEATSUPPLY WILL BESHIFTED AROUNDBUT NONE OF THATIS EASY." MANYFARMERS WILL GETBACKED UP.AL JUHNKE -EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,NEBRASKA PORKPRODUCERSASSOCIATION 2:19"AND SO AS WEBACK UP THATSYSTEM, FARMERSEND UP HAVING TOFEED THE PIGSLONGER WHICHCOSTS THEMMONEY, OR WORSE,GOING DOWN THESYSTEM THEY'REJSUT NOT ABLE TOKEEP THAT FLOWGOING AND WEDON'T WANT TOSEE THAT."AMERICA'S FOODSUPPLY SYSTEM ISCONNECTED.IF MORE AND MOREPLANTS SHUTDOWN DUE TOCOVID-19, PEOPLEWILL SEE THEEFFECTS.JESSE SMITH -PRESIDENT,NEBRAKSAASSOCIATION OFMEAT PROCESSORS07:48 "IT'S GOINGTO BE NOTICEABLEWHEN YOU TAKETHOSE MAJOR,THESE SUPERPACKING PLANTSOUT OF THE MIX IT'SGOING TO BENOTICEABLE.WE'RE GOING TONOTICE, I THINKTHERE'S GOING TOBE A PORKSHORTAGE AT SOMEPOINT ANDPOSSIBLY BEEF IFTHE SAME THINGHAPPENS TO THEBEEF PLANTS."AL JUHNKE -EXECUTIVEDIRECTOR,NEBRASKA PORKPRODUCERSASSOCIATION 03:22"SO FOR US, ASFARMERS AS WELLAS FOR THECONSUMER, WEWORRY WHENTHESE PLANTS GODOWN BECAUSE WEDO NOT, ON TOPOF EVERYTHINGELSE GOING ON,NEED A FOODSHORTAGE." THEPLANT WAS CLOSEDAFTER NEARLY 300EMPLOYEES TESTEDPOSITIVE ANDPRESSUREMOUNTED FROMGOVERNMENTOFFICIALS TO SHUTIT DOWNINDEFINITELY.IN A STATMENTSMITHFIELDPRESIDENTKENNETH SULLIVANSAID "THE CLOSUREOF THIS FACILITY,COMBINED WITH AGROWING LIST OFOTHER PROTEINPLANTS THAT HAVESHUTTERED ACROSSOUR INDUSTRY, ISPUSHING OURCOUNTRYPERILOUSLY CLOSETO THE EDGE INTERMS OF OURMEAT SUPPLY." THEOMAHA SMITHFIELDPLANT ISUNAFFECTED ATTHIS TIME, AND THECOMPANY HASANNOUNCED NEWMEASURES TOPROTECT STAFF ANDHELP PREVENTSPREAD WITHINTHESE PLANTS.REPORTING INOMAHA, RUTAULCINAITE, 3NN.MILLIONS OF PEOPLE