John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods, released a statement earlier this week that warned consumers that there will likely be a shortage of meat products in grocery stores in response to multiple processing plants shutting down due to the COVID-19 crisis.
"The food supply chain is breaking," he wrote in a blog post that was published to Tyson's website as well as posted in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
"There will be limited supply of our products available in grocery stores until we are able to reopen our facilities that are currently closed," Tyson continued. In light of the global health scare, Tyson halted all operations at their Iowa plant, one that is integral to the country's pork supply.
"In addition to meat shortages, this is a serious food waste issue. Farmers across the nation simply will not have anywhere to sell their livestock to be processed, when they could have fed the nation," John Tyson wrote.
"Millions of animals — chickens, pigs and cattle — will be depopulated because of the closure of our processing facilities," he added.
Four Tyson employees in Georgia have died from COVID-19, and the company stated they are implementing new health and safety codes. Dividers are to be installed between workers and employees who feel sick are encouraged to stay home.