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Ag Secretary Sonny Perdue said in a statement issued June 9 that meatpacking plants across America are “operating at more than 95% of their average capacity.”

Leading academics from four continents joined U.S., Canadian and international organizations representing farmers to sign an open letter that set the record straight.

Wholesale price declines suggest most packing plants have nearly recovered from the COVID-19 virus shock of a few weeks ago though the backlog of cattle and hogs will persist for a while longer.

Purchase limits remained in effect at most retail meat departments leading up to Memorial Day, but dollar sales were up 20.7% and volume increased 5.1%, suggesting demand remains strong.

There have been COVID related problems in Europe, notably in western Germany and Ireland, but the numbers of workers ill were much smaller.

40% of the pork packing capacity is currently idled, and even with the President’s Executive Order, increased safety measures and social distancing at plants means processing capacity won’t be back to 100% anytime soon.

The Small Business Administration (SBA) began accepting applications for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) exclusively for agricultural businesses on Monday.

Today on Farm Journal Live, Senator Jerry Moran and the Farm Journal livestock team respond to President Donald Trump’s order to keep meat packing plants open.

The coronavirus pandemic has already inflicted its wrath on America’s protein industries and the recovery will be slow. Slower still if you have cattle and hogs that need to be harvested.

On today’s Farm Journal Live, a look at new plans to keep Kansas packing plants open and a conversation with Feeding America about the challenge of keeping America’s food banks stocked.