CAMP HILL, Pa. — President Donald Trump’s and Gov. Tom Wolf’s administrations have each taken steps to help address bottlenecks in the food supply chain by ensuring that food processing can continue.
COVID-19-related closures and cutbacks at food processing operations – particularly for meat, poultry and eggs – has resulted in bottlenecks in the supply chain, leaving many farmers without a market and consumers with fewer options at the grocery store.
Trump announced an executive order last month aimed at reopening meat packing facilities. Farm Bureau will review the proposal as more details become available.
“We don’t yet know the details of the president’s actions to address meat packing plant closures but are hopeful it will protect the health and safety of workers while keeping farmers and ranchers in the business of providing food for families across America,” AFBF President Zippy Duvall said.
Meanwhile, the Wolf administration has made priority COVID-19 testing available for workers throughout the food supply chain in certain regions that have been hit hard by the virus.
At the same time, the state House passed House Bill 2345, introduced by Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, which would create a grant program to help food production facilities with the purchase of personal protective gear. The legislation now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
–Pennsylvania Farm Bureau