With thousands of U.S. meat-plant workers falling ill and a dozen plants shutting down, processors are wrestling with ways to keep consumers supplied with protein while also protecting workers from coronavirus.

The shutdowns mean beef and pork prices are surging, and farmers are destroying tens of thousands of animals as oversupply pushes down livestock prices.

For meat processors, the disruptions mean lower volume but higher margins with share prices gaining since the havoc started. Not everyone is bullish, with Tyson cut to market perform at Bernstein on expectations that third-quarter output will be hurt by closures and absenteeism.

The U.S. government stepped in last week, with President Donald Trump invoking the Defense Production Act to keep plants running. But that won’t be a quick fix and unions say the measure puts workers in danger.

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said Thursday that slaughterhouses would reopen in a matter of days, although social-distancing measures will limit output, with a shortfall of as much as 15%.

Exposure to food service is a risk for Tyson, with about 40% of sales coming from that channel

Tyson, down 34% this year, fell as much as 5.2% before the start of regular trading Monday