The food supply chain is facing growing concerns regarding the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Hundreds of workers at food processing plants in South Dakota, Iowa, Colorado, Georgia and Pennsylvania have been infected with the virus, forcing plants to shut down. And from farms to supermarkets, the effects are being felt.
Officials indefinitely closed a Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where over 300 pork processors have tested positive - half the entire state's cases of COVID-19, CBS News reported.
Consumers are experiencing some shortages due to hoarding but the main issue is distribution as more workers continue to get sick.
Dozens of grocery workers have died from coronavirus and their union says 3,000 are out sick.
The disruption is an inconvenience for consumers right now, but it could get worse. It could mean more severe shortages.
"We've got to figure out a way to keep operating both for consumers and for producers," said Julieanne Potts of the North American Meat Institute.
Many crops are not here for this reason: farmers are destroying them to avoid surpluses. This is something that would drive down prices and create yet another problem along the food chain.
