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AFBF, NCBA, NPPC among organizations praising Trump for his leadership to ensure packers keep processing livestock.

May 1, 2020

3 Min Read
Meat industry,meats hanging in the cold store. Cattle cut and hung on hook in a slaughterhouse.
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Six agricultural organizations are praising President Trump for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Our organizations representing the nation’s beef, pork, chicken and turkey farmers and ranchers and meat and poultry packers and processors would like to reiterate our thanks to you for your leadership and partnership with your administration, congressional leaders, state governors around the country and local leaders and health officials as our industry ensures the ongoing production of meat and poultry to feed Americans during the COVID-19 crisis," a letter the group wrote to the president reads.

On April 28, Trump signed an executive order directing Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to "take all appropriate action . . .  to ensure that meat and poultry processors continue operations consistent with the guidance for their operations jointly issued by the CDC and OSHA."

The letter states, "we are committed to continuing to work with you and government leadership at every level to ensure that we are doing everything in our power on behalf of our farmers and ranchers, animals, essential people and American consumers."

The full text of the letter sent May 1, 2020, is below. The letter was signed by Zippy Duvall, president, American Farm Bureau Federation; Colin Woodall, CEO, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association; Mike Brown, president, National Chicken Council; Neil Dierks, CEO, National Pork Producers Council; Joel Brandenberger, president and CEO; National Turkey Federation, and Julie Anna Potts, president and CEO, North American Meat Institute.

Related:Time to look at packer consolidation

"Our organizations representing the nation’s beef, pork, chicken and turkey farmers and ranchers and meat and poultry packers and processors would like to reiterate our thanks to you for your leadership and partnership with your administration, Congressional leaders, state Governors around the country and local leaders and health officials as our industry ensures the ongoing production of meat and poultry to feed Americans during the COVID-19 crisis. Feeding Americans is a non-partisan issue, and we are proud to work with our nation’s leaders to avert major supply chain disruptions and hardships for hundreds of thousands farmers and ranchers across the country and keep safe, affordable food on the plates of millions of Americans.

"This week’s Executive Order enacting the Defense Production Act to keep meat plants open is a key first step toward stabilizing the current plant capacity challenge and overcoming other major hurdles facing meat producers. Given our unprecedented times and challenges in many major industries, there’s no way to know to what the extent or scope of continued disruptions might be, but we do know that, with the safety and well-being of essential people top of mind, our farmers and ranchers need and want to get their animals to market so we can continue delivering meat and poultry to consumers.

Related:Ag committee chair sets up task force to reopen pork plant

"The health and safety of the essential men and women in packing plants remains paramount. Companies already have taken extra steps to protect their employees, but the additional PPE and guidance made possible by enacting the Defense Production Act is welcome news. These heroic essential men and women are providing for their own families and keeping our country fed. They deserve our thanks and our support.

"As the administration develops further guidance toward implementing the DPA to keep plants open, we are committed to continuing to work with you and government leadership at every level to ensure that we are doing everything in our power on behalf of our farmers and ranchers, animals, essential people and American consumers. Thank you again for your support of our industry and the key role we play feeding Americans."

Source: The North American Meat Institute, which is solely responsible for the information provided and is wholly owned by the source. Informa Business Media and all its subsidiaries are not responsible for any of the content contained in this information asset. 

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