Tyson Foods warned Sunday that “millions of pounds of meat” are at risk of disappearing from the supply chain due to the growing number of meat processing plants that have closed due to COVID-19.
“The food supply chain is breaking,” John Tyson, chairman of the company’s executive board, wrote in a full page advertisement that appeared this weekend in The New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
“We have a responsibility to feed our country. It is as essential as healthcare. This is a challenge that should not be ignored. Our plants must remain operational so that we can supply food to our families in America. This is a delicate balance because Tyson Foods places team member safety as our top priority.”
Temporary plant closures
Tyson temporarily halted production at beef and pork processing plants in Waterloo, Iowa, Pasco, Washington, and Logansport, Indiana, last week so that team members could undergo testing for COVID-19.
"There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed," he wrote in the statement that was also available on the company’s website. "In addition to meat shortages, this is a serious food waste issue. Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation. Millions of animals – chickens, pigs and cattle – will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities."
Tyson is currently working with local health officials to develop a plan for resuming operations. Timing depends on several factors, including the outcome of the team member testing for COVID-19. The company’s other meat and poultry plants currently continue to operate, but some are running at reduced levels of production either due to the planned implementation of additional worker safety precautions or worker absenteeism.
Other safety measures
Tyson has implemented numerous protocols to keep workers safe, requiring workers to wear masks, daily deep cleaning and sanitation of facilities and the installation of infrared scanners that detect fevers.
In the ad, Tyson also promised to waive the waiting period to qualify for short term disability, waive the co-pay, co-insurance and deductible for COVID-19 testing and to waive co-pays for telemedicine visits.
“It hasn’t been easy, and it’s not over. But I have faith that together, we’ll get through this. We will continue to bring new ideas to the table, solve new problems and create new opportunities. We must come together to keep our nation fed, our country strong and our employees healthy.” he wrote.
View our continuing coverage of the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic.
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