One of the largest pork-processing plants in the United States is closing until further notice, which could have serious repercussions for the country's meat supply.
According to an article from CNN, Smithfield has decided to close its facility in Sioux Falls, SD, with CEO Kenneth Sullivan saying that "The closure of this facility, combined with a growing list of other protein plants that have shuttered across our industry, is pushing our country perilously close to the edge in terms of our meat supply." The article says that the facility produces 4% to 5% of the pork in this country, and this combined with the closures of other meat-processing plants will "have severe, perhaps disastrous, repercussions for many in the supply chain," according to Sullivan.
CNN mentions that approximately 240 employees who work at the Smithfield plant in Sioux Falls are sick with the coronavirus, accounting for more than half of the active cases in South Dakota.
by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)
[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]
