With Smithfield Food in Sioux Falls joining the list of midwestern meat packing plants temporarily closed because of COVID-19, producers are anticipating another hit to their bottom line.
Smithfield implemented a 3-day shutdown in order to sanitize the plant and introduce barriers between workers.
Jim Petrik is a farmer and producer from Gayville, and a former officer with the South Dakota Pork Producers Council. He says that three day lag will have an impact.
“It’s not like there’s some other plant operating at capacity that could take on those additional animals,” Petrik says. “Consequently, a hog that didn’t get delivered today is going to have to get delivered next week. Well, you know what, next week’s already full.”
Producers can get penalized for hogs over a certain weight. Petrik says waiting additional days may ding producers’ pocketbooks.
State health officials say about 80 employees at Smithfield have tested positive for COVID-19. The union representing those workers says that number is closer to 120.
