Like oil,there is only so much storage available,..many of these plants can put out 20,000 + head a day. But with many packers shutting down,those remaining can only pick up so many extra contracts.

I don't feel that meat processing plants catch it quicker they just have a work environment that can create rapid and major spread once there. They are also essential and thus there was a need or desire to keep things open and running at max and with the prices for hogs, poultry and even beef dropping to decade lows, processors can make real profits selling wholesale product. If the plant was setup for Federal mitigation standards how much less production would there be hourly, daily or weekly? All the workers also interact with many other people as well. The fact that we had deaths as early as February 6th and a person that did not travel overseas is important new information as to how long we may have been dealing with this organism. Some of that can be good news as we probably have a whole lot lower severe illness and death rate than we are currently seeing and along with appropriate and managed testing we can take steps to open on a safety basis. The fact that many may find out in the near future that getting the disease is not life threatening to a huge majority of people may give them more confidence about going back out when conditions open.

Bryce

Prices at the auction yard for ranchers is down 30%, ( below break even ) price in store up 30%. Takes a year or more to grow a piece of beef meat. This years calf crop has just hit the ground. The shortage of beef is probably a year out unless the true value producer of beef can get some relief. Not talking government relief either, that's socialism, it don't work, money gets spent and still no beef. Need to be paid for the production of beef, or a head of lettuce, or what ever it is we consume, not just food items either.

I think or so I may assume that most of these plants have been instructed on a similar mitigation circumstance scenario in the past. For the most part ,I don't think production would suffer considerably.
As far as the workers interacting with others, yes,many of these families have direct connection with others working down the road per say.

If the packing houses are shut down too long yall can get with me to talk adoptions this fall.
Only equal opportunity homes & freezers will be considered LOL

Don't the packing plants own the hogs, and contract the raising of the hogs?

Ya, I do. Lots and lots of pork. Did you see the "whatever numbers that is possible" part? I realize they can't ALL be salvaged, but some of them could.

Lot of pork could be salvaged,.gary is right,...its a matter of marketing in a new era.

I won't be releasing too many fish that I catch. Went to store to buy fish and nothing there.

What a shame! I can't keep eggs in stock on my farm. I still offer them for $2/dz and don't anticipate raising my price unless my feed goes up. As a matter of fact, I've had people calling wanting to buy chicks and laying hens from us. We just hatched out a batch of layers, we plan on processing the roosters along with our 26 Cornish cross we have I the brooder. I already have all my meat birds I plan on selling out of this lot, spoken for. The wife and I plan on doing another batch or 2 of meat birds this year.

Here in Iowa we provide 1/3 of the pork in the US. A plant in Columbus Junction had corona and closed. It was sanitized and re opened the other day. Workers are fever tested before each shift.
Another plant in Waterloo closed yesterday I believe,due to the virus. I suppose they will do he same as Junction did since it is the same company.
just

Kind of akin to mink ranchers having to kill kits this spring.

I just ordered 1/2 a beef from a local farmer who raises Black Angus cattle.

I just came from the store. Plain ol pork steak is 2.89/#

Weird times indeed. Just the other day here in Arizona, someone cut their way into an egg farm and stole 20 dozen of eggs. There’s a demand somewhere.

These kind of state just blow my mind, not saying I don't believe you because of the cities but, I only know of one store in our county where I might be able to buy with a brand name like tyson.

Then again, we only have the one grocery store that's a chain store.