Letter to Vice President Mike Pence - Ernst Urges Administration to Ensure Safety, Security of Food Supply Chain

Letter

Dear Mr. Vice President,

I would first like to thank you for your leadership to help get our country through this incredibly difficult
time. I would like to bring to your attention concerns I am hearing from the agriculture and food
industries in my state. Now more than ever it is important that we make sure our farmers have the
resources they need to survive this crisis, so that Americans can continue to have food on their kitchen
table.

While every sector has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, developments in the last week
have dramatically changed the condition of our food supply chain. In Iowa alone, there have been
several major packing plant closures due to their hardworking employees being infected by COVID-19.
These companies have been faced with the difficult task of temporarily closing their facilities and
protecting the health of their employees. Packing plants and the entire agriculture industry have long
faced labor challenges, and COVID-19 related plant shutdowns and rising worker absenteeism has
intensified these issues.

When a packing plant closes, it sends ripple effects through the supply chain. In the case of Iowa's pork
industry, there is a constant supply of pigs working their way up the chain. If the packing plant is no
longer open for slaughter, farmers have to hold on to those pigs for longer, which means the pigs are
putting on extra weight, and new piglets have no place to go. Ultimately farmers are left with an excess
supply of hogs that they are not getting any money for. Excess supply paired with lower demand has
consequently led to some farmers losing in excess of $40 per head. On the other end of the supply chain,
when a packing plant closes it means less meat going towards our grocery store shelves and higher
prices for consumers.

Iowa's pork industry is in dire straits. With a system designed for just-in-time delivery, the pork industry
has been turned on its head. Soon, farmers will need to start euthanizing hogs, meaning they are literally
throwing out their livelihoods.

This all comes after several years of market turmoil due to lost markets and a significant drop in value
from trade retaliation measures. It is estimated that hog farmers will lose $5 billion collectively during
the remainder of this year. Prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, a profitable year had been expected.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act passed by Congress and signed into
law on March 27th includes several provisions for assistance to agriculture. USDA has been given the
ability to help, they can make purchases and design emergency payments. Now more than ever, we must
protect the integrity of our food supply from farmer to grocery shelf using an all-hands-on deck
approach. As the response to COVID-19 moves forward, please remember the impact of these closures.
A plant closure does not just affect the employees working the line and their families, but it reaches all
the way back to the farmer and forward to the consumer.

This pandemic has put unprecedented strains on supply chains. Farmers, producers, and businesses are
being forced to interact with government agencies they never have before. In my conversations with
Iowans, they've consistently stressed the importance of a coordinated effort when it comes to the way
the federal government is providing resources, educating, and informing the public about the status of
the food supply chain. Moving forward, I would ask that the administration consider all the tools it has --
that could include designating a supply chain point-person -- to help ensure that Iowa's producers are
able to reliably and safely get their products to market. It is imperative that we have a streamlined,
collaborative strategy in order to respond to the market changes and keep the integrity of our supply
chains. This means helping facilitate interagency efforts to clear the way to keep our supply chains up
and running and delivering critical goods, like food, to our nation's consumers.
Again I would like to thank you for all your effort in guiding our nation through this crisis. I encourage
you to develop strong measures to help mitigate the current market upheaval in the pork industry as it
weathers this crisis.

Sincerely,

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