Meat packing facilities have shut down in many places, prompting Pres. Trump to order them to stay open during the pandemic. That may be easier said than done though with employees sick from the corona virus and unable to work.
The ramifications for consumers would be not finding enough meat in grocery stores. Jennifer Tirey, the Executive Director of the Illinois Pork Producers Association, says the ramifications on the farm are animals ready for slaughter with nowhere to go.
Illinois Farm Bureau Executive Director Mark Gebhards says 1,700 employees were idled recently at the Monmouth livestock processor.
Some farmers have already had animals euthanized and developing piglets aborted.
FarmWeek Now provided the audio and some information for this report.