President Trump signed an Executive Order Tuesday declaring meatpacking plants as “critical infrastructure” under the Defense Production Act. The order will require plants to remain open or return to processing animals despite coronavirus outbreaks. It’s an effort to mitigate food supply concerns and could help avoid more euthanasia of hogs.
Attorney and past South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Todd Wilkinson says the order will also provide liability production to processors.

Wilkinson says the news couldn’t have come any sooner as the nation’s livestock and processing industry are in crisis.

South Dakota Pork Producers Council 1st Vice President Shane Odegaard says his industry has been hit the hardest with the plant closures and the Executive Order is the relief they desperately need.

For pork especially, the situation has caused an estimated 160,000 hogs per day to be backed up on farms. USDA reports indicated hog slaughter capacity is down 37% from a year ago and cattle slaughter is down 31%.