U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) this week strongly urged the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to deem all of the nation’s meat processing facilities as essential operations to ensure the U.S. food supply chain remains functioning and secure during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
“The protein supply chain for beef, pork and poultry functions requires consistency. Producers and markets are looking for any assurances that the department is taking proactive steps to mitigate any disruptions,” wrote Sen. Tillis and his colleague U.S. Rep. Dusty Johnson (R-SD) in a March 16 letter sent to USDA Secretary Sonny Perdue.
The senator and congressman encouraged the secretary “to use all of your available authorities to maximize flexibility to guarantee USDA inspectors are available for on-site inspections and ensure that our processing facilities maintain current productivity levels.”
Sen. Tillis and his colleague also asked Perdue to collaborate with industry partners in developing and releasing information to inform the public about USDA’s planned actions.
“In this time of need, we all must do what we can to maintain Americans’ access to a safe and abundant supply of protein,” the lawmakers wrote. “The protein supply chain is a vital component of food security.”