Piglets aborted, chickens gassed as pandemic slams meat sectorWith the pandemic hobbling the meat-packing industry, Iowa farmer Al Van Beek had nowhere to ship his full-grown pigs to make room for the 7,500 piglets he expected from his breeding operation. The barns need to be emptied out by sending adult hogs to slaughter before the arrival of new piglets from sows that were impregnated just before the pandemic. “We have nowhere to go with the pigs,” said Van Beek, who lamented the waste of so much meat. The pandemic barreling through farm towns has mired rural communities in despair, a potent mix of shame and grief. This makes me sick, too.” Even as livestock and crop prices plummet, prices for meat and eggs at grocery stores are up.

Source: Standard Digital April 28, 2020 07:30 UTC