Tyson warns US 'food chain is breaking'
The head of meat processor Tyson Foods has warned that the “food supply chain is breaking” in an open letter published in the New York Times, Washington Post and Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
With meat packers being particularly badly affected due to coronavirus, and a number of facilities closing in the US, backlogs will mean shortages in stores, he warned.
“Millions of animals - chickens, pigs and cattle - will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities. The food supply chain is breaking,” Mr Tyson wrote.
“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.”
The Centre for Consumer Freedom confirmed animals are having to be euthanised or buried, be-cause of a lack of processing capacity but said there wasn’t a food shortage yet.
Separately, Tyson provided tours of two production plants in Northwest Arkansas on April 24 to state and federal health officials to outline the safety measures and social distancing efforts in place at Tyson facilities.
Social distancing measures that Tyson has put in place include the designation of social distancing monitors and tents for additional break room space outside.
All Tyson employees are required to wear surgical masks.
