As the coronavirus pandemic continues, one of the world's largest distributors of chicken, beef, and pork is warning that at the current rate, America's grocery stores face a shortage of meat products.

Tyson Foods has advised that "millions of pounds of meat" will disappear from the supply chain, causing a product shortage in U.S. grocery stores.

John Tyson, board chairman for Tyson Foods, wrote the following in a full-page advertisement in Sunday's edition of The New York Times: "The food supply chain is breaking. There will be limited supply of products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed."

He explained that as processing facilities continue to close, farmers will run out of places to sell their livestock, and "millions of animals -- chickens, pigs and cattle -- will simply be slaughtered."

Just last week, Tyson Foods had to temporarily close facilities in Iowa and Indiana so workers there could be tested for COVID-19.

Additionally, some of the country's largest abattoirs (processing plants or slaughterhouses) have been forced to shut down operations temporarily after thousands of employees across the country have tested positive for the virus.

Pork processing plants have been hit especially hard. Three of the nation's largest are currently shut down - locations in South Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. Together, these three plants account for about 15% of pork production.

 

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