April 20

4/20 – Food supply chains are in chaos. For starters, no amount of retail demand can make up for the loss of foodservice. Produce is being plowed under, milk is getting dumped, bacon and chicken wing prices have plummeted. Secondly, foodservice specs and packaging are not easily adapted for retail sales. Finally, plant closures are threatening supply gaps. JBS closed their beef processing plants in Greeley, CO and Souderton, PA. National Beef closed Tama, IA. Cargill closed its Hazleton, PA beef plant. Smithfield closed its Sioux Falls, SD facility that processes 5% of all U.S. pork - along with plants in Cudahy, WI, Martin City, MO and Tar Heel, NC. Tyson halted operations at its Iowa pork plant and closed a poultry plant in Camilla, GA. Sanderson reduced production at its Moultrie, GA poultry plant. This is the tip of a plant closure iceberg that could last for months.