Smithfield Foods

[Looking Glass]

My Cousin, just E Mailed me that last Friday over 60 workers in the Hog Processing plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota the largest Pork processor in the Country tested Positive. The Plant is closed for at least 14 Days and who knows? This has caused Shock Waves in the Meat Processing Industry. USDA and every other Federal Agency is swarming the Town. Ice is there attempting to round up workers to document paper work and health? He said that it is A Worst case Senario as this affects so many in and around S.F. Workers, Farmers, Truckers on and on. The Evil Virus just keeps taking another Unexpected Victim.

 

[JDKRXW]

This is a disaster.
They have to find a way to keep this plant open.....it's not just S.F. and area that's going to be affected. This plant gets hogs from hundreds of miles away.....even Manitoba.

When hogs are finished.....I don't think there's a 2 week cushion in getting them to the plants.

 

[Looking Glass]

My Cousin, just E Mailed me that last Friday over 60 workers in the Hog Processing plant in Sioux Falls , South Dakota the largest Pork processor in the Country tested Positive. The Plant is closed for at least 14 Days and who knows? This has caused Shock Waves in the Meat Processing Industry. USDA and every other Federal Agency is swarming the Town. Ice is there attempting to round up workers to document paper work and health? He said that it is A Worst case Senario as this affects so many in and around S.F. Workers, Farmers, Truckers on and on. The Evil Virus just keeps taking another Unexpected Victim.

he just sent another to me, the word is many in this Plant are Illegals and have run. This has complicated any effort to contain the possible spread. This along with the Meat supply and of course the Virus in the Plant. There is Anxiety,to say the least. I do not understand the large number of Illegals,as I thought that ICE had a good handle on that issue?

 

[FishSniper]

he just sent another to me, the word is many in this Plant are Illegals and have run. This has complicated any effort to contain the possible spread. This along with the Meat supply and of course the Virus in the Plant. There is Anxiety,to say the least. I do not understand the large number of Illegals,as I thought that ICE had a good handle on that issue?

I saw an article on this earlier let me try and get a link.

 

[4Waters]

So are they going to rename it "Swine flu" LOL

 

[4Waters]

he just sent another to me, the word is many in this Plant are Illegals and have run. This has complicated any effort to contain the possible spread. This along with the Meat supply and of course the Virus in the Plant. There is Anxiety,to say the least. I do not understand the large number of Illegals,as I thought that ICE had a good handle on that issue?

The liberals won't let ICE get a handle on this, I hope they rethink their reasoning now, but I doubt it.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Not when they keep hiring

 

[Havasu blue label]

They not illegals when the owners are hiring

 

[Looking Glass]

They not illegals when the owners are hiring

My Cousin said there are over a dozen different nationalities in there. No one speaks English ,violence daily and serious situation with everyone walking around with Butcher Knives that are Razor Sharp.

Moral is NOT high.

 

[riverroyal]

So a company that employs illegal aliens is closed from a virus from a communist country..

Noted

 

[Looking Glass]

MORALE

So a company that employs illegal aliens is closed from a virus from a communist country..

Noted

We are a Melting Pot , You Know?

 

[riverroyal]

Melting i agree. Illegally operated business is off topic but.....
Sorry for your cousin

 

[Singleton]

Read the plant is closed indefinitely. Over 250 Corona positive tests resulted from the plant.

 

[was thatguy]

MORALE


We are a Melting Pot , You Know?

We used to be.
Now diversity is celebrated. We are a salad bowl.
It’s a blessing for a person to be multi lingual, it’s a death knell for a Nation to be muli lingual.
(To paraphrase Dick Lamm in his 8 steps to destroy America speech)

Gov. Richard Lamm: My plan to destroy America - Washington Examiner

I have a secret plan to destroy America. If you believe, as many do, that America is too smug, too white-bread, too self-satisfied, too rich … then let’s destroy America. It is not that hard to do. History shows that nations are more fragile than their citizens think. No nation in history has...

www.google.com

 

[riverroyal]

Read the plant is closed indefinitely. Over 250 Corona positive tests resulted from the plant.

Wow

 

[Looking Glass]

Melting i agree. Illegally operated business is off topic but.....
Sorry for your cousin

Well it is a serious problem that has been completly ignored for decades and whenever there is Talk about grabbing the B

Read the plant is closed indefinitely. Over 250 Corona positive tests resulted from the plant.

The Plant used to be John Morrell and Sons ,HUGE largest employer in the area and this will hurt so many innocent people already hurting from flooding last year and over half the land not planted and it is scary for this year. The fear is many small family Farms will be gone and they are the Back bone of these smaller surrounding communities as they keep the other small businesses going also. Damn this virus may be much more widespread than I realized. My Cousin stated there were Farmers being interviewed on Local T-V crying as they had a truck load of hogs ready unload for sale and were turned away and now have NO market for them. These guys are as Good as they come,hard workers who have no say in what they pay for feed,fuel etc. and No say what they sell their product for. This may be the beginning of the end for many. This combined with others on here on another thread worried for their businesses. I am going to try to support the Small Guys thinking this could be me or my loved ones.

Preyers coming tonight.

 

[HotRod82]

We have all been wondering what the "tipping point" is for social unrest....#1 in my book is food shortages.

 

[Singleton]

This is going to impact many
Farmers, workers at plant first, then everyone else who want to eat pork

AP Press Release This Afternoon
Virginia-based Smithfield Foods announced Sunday that it is closing its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls until further notice after hundreds of employees tested positive for the coronavirus — a step the head of the company warned could hurt the nation's meat supply.

The announcement came a day after South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken wrote to Smithfield and urged the company to suspend operations for 14 days so that its workers could self-isolate and the plant could be disinfected.

The plant, which employs about 3,700 people in the state's largest city, has become a hot spot for infections. Health officials said Sunday that 293 of the 730 people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in South Dakota work at the plant.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

So now that we are done with a statistics lesson for everyone, we get to move on to economics and inflation, maybe even hyper inflation if this goes on to much longer.

This is what happens when govt is put in charge of the means of production.

 

[Havasu blue label]

Put to work Americans. They did it before

 

[Sandlord]

They never should have been allowed to sell Smithfield to the Chinese.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Put to work Americans. They did it before

The CEO said they would close for three days to clean. The mayor and governor implored him to close longer due to not enough protections for workers. So now the plant is closed "indefinitely".

 

[Looking Glass]

Talked to a Long Time family friend, who has lived in Sioux Falls all his life and has a Prudential Investments Office there. I go back and hunt Pheasants every Fall with him. He wanted me to call, and discuss this deal. He said that the FDA is on the "War Path' attempting to save face as they should have been on this Months ago. The Plant is a Mess and is under order to near dismantle and disinfect and completly Air Dry. The entire Meat Industry is now in their "SIGHTS" Purdue and Tyson is now in line. This guy is a First Class Man that never panics as in the Financial World he has seen it all, but he said Do Not do a TP deal, but suggests Pork especially get some in the Freezer as it will be a Month, he believes before Smith is back on line. I have to agree that Beef and Chicken are sure to follow. I'm going to get enough Bacon, Sausage, Hamburger and Chicken for a couplee weeks, as he said it is a 100% focus to bring this Plant back on line ASAP.

Maybe some Bar-B-Q items?

 

[Sandlord]

I wonder how much of our food supply the chinese can impact?

 

[wallnutz]

I wonder how much of our food supply the chinese can impact?

They probably corner the market on bat soup.

 

[pronstar]

I wonder how much of our food supply the chinese can impact?

If they stop buying our chicken feet, the price of chicken meat will skyrocket for the US, and could crush the industry.

Details here:

The Economics of Chicken Feet... and Other Parts - Freakonomics

Our latest podcast, "Weird Recycling," featured Carlos Ayala, the Vice President of International at Perdue Farms. Stephen Dubner's interview with him centered on chicken feet -- or chicken paws, as they're called in the industry. Until about 20 years ago, paws were close to value-less for a...

freakonomics.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[Sandlord]

If they stop buying our chicken feet, the price of chicken meat will skyrocket for the US, and could crush the industry.

I think their next attack will be on our food supply.
Time to look into a new freezer for meat.

 

[RiverDave]

Well it is a serious problem that has been completly ignored for decades and whenever there is Talk about grabbing the B


The Plant used to be John Morrell and Sons ,HUGE largest employer in the area and this will hurt so many innocent people already hurting from flooding last year and over half the land not planted and it is scary for this year. The fear is many small family Farms will be gone and they are the Back bone of these smaller surrounding communities as they keep the other small businesses going also. Damn this virus may be much more widespread than I realized. My Cousin stated there were Farmers being interviewed on Local T-V crying as they had a truck load of hogs ready unload for sale and were turned away and now have NO market for them. These guys are as Good as they come,hard workers who have no say in what they pay for feed,fuel etc. and No say what they sell their product for. This may be the beginning of the end for many. This combined with others on here on another thread worried for their businesses. I am going to try to support the Small Guys thinking this could be me or my loved ones.

Preyers coming tonight.

You know I don't get this.. If the hogs are still alive just take them back home and sell them off to local butchers.. Or continue to feed until they can be sold to another meat house?

RD

 

[530RL]

I’ve never heard of whole meatpacking plan

You know I don't get this.. If the hogs are still alive just take them back home and sell them off to local butchers.. Or continue to feed until they can be sold to another meat house?

RD

These are industrial operations.

The average hog for an industrial operation is slaughtered at 5 to 6 months old. You need consistency in product, weights, bone size and on and on.

Think of these as giant factories, not small stuff.

I can arrange for a trip after this is all over. Both chicken and pork.

You will literally stand there with your mouth open, but your nose held shut, at the efficiency and consistency of product that comes out.

 

[riverroyal]

Hard to pick up 500000 pigs

 

[Looking Glass]

You know I don't get this.. If the hogs are still alive just take them back home and sell them off to local butchers.. Or continue to feed until they can be sold to another meat house?

RD

The hogs when brought to the Stockyards are ready and ready NOW, not in a Month or two. There very few if any Local small town butchers left in Rural America, and the ones left are usually just processing for the one who brings it in for their family. Rare is it that Butchers still have a meat Counter. Small Town Rural america has become as the Burbs and Metro,many commute to work and buy their groceries there on the way home. The young kids, don't want to be a butcher,Shoe Repairman,hardware Store owner TINY Grocery Store owner on and on. As these Small Family Farm cease the family goes their separate way and the land is gobbled up by Huge Corporate Farm Operations and the Father hopes to become employed by them, The Sons if they want to farm can not Afford to as it is Get Big or Get Out of the way. A wonderful Family Owned and Operated Institution is slowly going away forever.

There are only a few Large Processors and Smithfield, Formerly John Morrell has been in Sioux Falls for decades and virtually run everyone else out. The fact is Smith is where you sell and at THEIR Price. Sure there are others over in Iowa, Minnesota, North dakota but is a repeat of this in Sioux Falls. They have the business down to a science. The purchase the slaughter,process,selle EVERY part of the Animal,then the Distribution to Warehouses then to Stores, very few can compete with them. Smith ownes huge hog confinement farms run by farmers run out of business. The Small Town Farm communities are only to live anymore not to make a living.

Then most of these SMALL time producers have a routine set up on a time table that needs cash Flow and these Hogs need to move now themn make bank Payments, farm store payments on and on and when the market closes, it becomes a crisis and their family owned operation is now in trouble.

It is exactly like some Members here with businesses things are fine as long as the doors are open and Cash continues to Flow, but now WHAT? Stress, Emotions, Panic. AND ?

 

[prorider]

You know I don't get this.. If the hogs are still alive just take them back home and sell them off to local butchers.. Or continue to feed until they can be sold to another meat house?

RD

Little guys can’t compete. Massie has been trying to get laws changed to help. USDA is a nightmare for small guys. Can’t even label it grown is US.

 

[Sleek-Jet]

Little guys can’t compete. Massie has been trying to get laws changed to help. USDA is a nightmare for small guys. Can’t even label it grown is US.

We have a local butcher here, and they have great products, but they also aren't a slaughter house. So those carcasses are coming from somewhere.

And even if they do get the hogs from a local slaughter house, nfw are those places set up to handle thousands of animals on the hoof.

 

[HotRod82]

I’ve never heard of whole meatpacking plan



These are industrial operations.

The average hog for an industrial operation is slaughtered at 5 to 6 months old. You need consistency in product, weights, bone size and on and on.

Think of these as giant factories, not small stuff.

I can arrange for a trip after this is all over. Both chicken and pork.

You will literally stand there with your mouth open, but your nose held shut, at the efficiency and consistency of product that comes out.

My 85 year old Dad loves to tell the story of when he was in the 8th grade right here in San Diego, they had a required field trip to the local swine and bovine slaughterhouses. We always get a good laugh at the notion of doing that today. Today's 8th graders at a slaughter house would probably result in a bunch of instant vegans.

 

[Canuck 1]

Hard to pick up 500000 pigs

At a democratic convention this might be possible

 

[rrrr]

The WSJ ran an article about this yesterday. It's a disaster for the farmers, and the closure will have an affect on the supply of pork nationwide. The plant produces 3-5% of the pork processed in the US.

The upheavals in our country's food chain are becoming a critical problem. US milk producers dumped a total of 5% of the week's production down the drain a few days ago. School closures and other market factors have dropped demand precipitously.

Smithfield Chief Executive Ken Sullivan said Sunday the plant would stay closed after a previously announced plan to shut it for three days. But he warned that the 550 farmers who supply the plant will no longer have a place to send their hogs, and not operating the plant’s processing lines will make it harder to keep grocery stores stocked with pork.

The Smithfield plant employs about 3,700 people and accounts for 4% to 5% of U.S. pork production, according to Smithfield, which is owned by Hong Kong-based meat conglomerate WH Group.

“We have a stark choice as a nation: we are either going to produce food or not, even in the face of Covid-19,” Mr. Sullivan said in a written statement. “It is impossible to keep our grocery stores stocked if our plants are not running.”

Smithfield CEO Warns of Risks to Pork Supply

Smithfield Foods will keep its Sioux Falls, S.D., pork plant closed indefinitely at the urging of the state’s governor, though the company’s chief executive warned of dire consequences for farmers and consumers.

www.wsj.com

 

[WhatExit?]

CNN says not to worry...

Meat plants are closing. But you don't have to panic shop just yet

Across the country, meat processors are temporarily shutting down as workers are getting infected with Covid-19. But that doesn't mean America is about to run out of meat.

www.cnn.com

 

[Sandlord]

CNN says not to worry...

We all know what that means....

 

[Looking Glass]

180 New cases yesterday bringing the Plant total to 518 which is the largest one location number. They are also noting that 126 new cases are infected by contact from the employees of Smithfield. The Plant employees 3,700.

 

[Looking Glass]

President Trump has or will be signing the Executive order to Meat Processing Plants to Open or Remain open even if Corona Virus had been detected there. More To Come.

 

[RodnJen]

President Trump has or will be signing the Executive order to Meat Processing Plants to Open or Remain open even if Corona Virus had been detected there. More To Come.

Is he going to verify their immigration status?

 

[Danger Dave]

Is he going to verify their immigration status?

The cattle and pork?

 

[Performance Grips]

Is he going to verify their immigration status?

Do you want to eat? I think he's doing what needs to be done. Why make this political? This is about our food chain. Unbelievable.

 

[530RL]

Do you want to eat? I think he's doing what needs to be done. Why make this political? This is about our food chain. Unbelievable.

I think what Rod is pointing out and what this situation is pointing out is that immigrants play a vital role in our food chain as most of us in here do not hope that our children’s greatest aspiration is picking produce in a field or working in a processing plant. We want them exceeding our standard of living in higher value jobs than even we did.

immigrants have been the backbone of the food supply chain for over 200 years and I think his point is that maybe once this is all over there could be some reasonable and respectful solutions to the need for immigrant labor in our country and our food supply chain.

 

[Performance Grips]

I think what Rod is pointing out and what this situation is pointing out is that immigrants play a vital role in our food chain as most of us in here do not hope that our children’s greatest aspiration is picking produce in a field or working in a processing plant. We want them exceeding our standard of living in higher value jobs than even we did.

immigrants have been the backbone of the food supply chain for over 200 years and I think his point is that maybe once this is all over there could be some reasonable and respectful solutions to the need for immigrant labor in our country and our food supply chain.

I saw many interviewed today from the Tyson foods plant. Most were union, most were African american. But sure let's bring immigrant workers into the negotiations. Everyone needs to get something out of this. I'm good I have a lot of meat in the freezer. I'm good for weeks I'm prepared. But most aren't. I hope u guys making this about politics are. This could go sideways quick for alot of people. Thanks for speaking up for rod or whatever his name is. You'd be good at these California press conference. You seem to know everything about everything.

 

[wallnutz]

I think what Rod is pointing out and what this situation is pointing out is that immigrants play a vital role in our food chain as most of us in here do not hope that our children’s greatest aspiration is picking produce in a field or working in a processing plant. We want them exceeding our standard of living in higher value jobs than even we did.

immigrants have been the backbone of the food supply chain for over 200 years and I think his point is that maybe once this is all over there could be some reasonable and respectful solutions to the need for immigrant labor in our country and our food supply chain.

Legal immigrants, not illegal immigrants. But you know that.

 

[Devilman]

At a democratic convention this might be possible

I actually laughed out loud at that.

 

[Devilman]

If they stop buying our chicken feet, the price of chicken meat will skyrocket for the US, and could crush the industry.

I dated a girl years ago, her family had animals.... every now and then her mom would make fresh chicken soup. First time I had it over there I was not expecting to see chicken feet floating around in the serving bowl. Her dad liked 'em. I was tripping on the fact that there was even anything on 'em to eat, lol.