The coronavirus is forcing companies supplying meat and other essential staples to struggle as they redirect the U.S. sprawling food supply chain to meet the increased demand.
The Wall Street Journal reported America still has plenty of food, but is faced with getting it to people's tables.
The demand brought on by the virus has left some grocery stores' shelves bare, Now the agriculture industry is boosting producing, hiring new employees and set up "war rooms" to keep supermarkets stocked, according to the newspaper.
"It is in fact unprecedented, the type of growth we've seen," said Noel White, chief executive of Tyson Foods.
But he maintained "the food supply is sufficient."
Tyson, the biggest U.S. meat supplier by sales, had people working through the weekend to ship chicken, beef and other products to grocery stores, White said.
And Taylor Farms, a supplier of fresh vegetables and salads, has designated a conference in its California office as a "war room." From there, Chief executive Bruce Taylor and his team have been developing a strategy to quickly move raw produce through the company's facility and onto stores' shelves.
"It's a crazy puzzle," Taylor said. "This is war."
Meanwhile, lobbying groups representing companies including Target Corp., The Clorox Co., and Anheuser-Busch InBev NV, are looking for an exemption from local gathering bans and curfews so that stores can replenish products.
They are pressing the Trump administration, lawmakers and state and local officials to set a clear framework for consumer goods makers, food processors, distributors and their workers to prevent shortages.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.