Governor Kristi Noem’s letter to Smithfield Foods

@SoDakCampaigns

As noted in the prior post, Smithfield foods is temporarily shutting down operations in Sioux Falls as a result of coronavirus, coming after Governor Kristi Noem, along with Sioux Falls Mayor Paul Ten Haken sent the following letter to the head of Smithfield; noting that the pork producer is the source for a significant number of cases of coronavirus in Minnehaha County:

The shutdown of the Sioux Falls Smithfield plant – said to be the 3rd largest pork processing plant in the country – should gain people’s attention and be cause for concern for the country’s food prices and food security in the coming weeks.

10 thoughts on “Governor Kristi Noem’s letter to Smithfield Foods”

  2. An exercise in thought, if you please. I do not doubt the people who are in practice, if not words forcing businesses to shut down, people to stay home from their jobs, people not being allowed the free exercise of their religion or to peaceably assemble–and the list goes on, believe they are doing these things for the good of the people, city, state and/or nation.
    Whether the pandemic is going to be as bad as has been stated is yet to be determined. We have already seen the number of death projections AFTER mitigation drop significantly, from 200,000 to 100,000 to 80,000 to at last reading 60,000. 60,000 is close to influenza numbers. So are we going to, as a people, allow the government to destroy an economy next fall when the next flu season hits? Or just what will be the criteria that will be the type of emergency that will have our leaders force us to stop business for our own good?

  3. So once the employees are furloughed, what do you think they will do? Stay in Minnehaha County or head out to find employment at other locations?

    1. That or just be out and about. Stay at home or lose benefits might’ve been in order…

  4. Good work. Ask first! If we’re all willing to work together there’s no reason to start the wheels of government. So much common sense in this approach.

  5. How long did Smithfield operate knowing they had sick employees spreading the virus? How long did Noem know that they are operating with sick employees?

    1. Very good questions, and why did Huron city officials have a confidence about their meat packing plant some three weeks before Sioux Falls officials?

      1. The turkey plant people have done a terrific job cleaning and keeping workers separated. We haven’t had a new case in Beadle County in a couple weeks. Just curious whether the Chinese ownership of Smithfield — and I’m unsure how many upper management and line workers come from China — exposed CV-19 there.

  6. Let’s Hope it reopens as fast as possible. Vast majority of people have no clue the chain of consequences of this closing.

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