Minnesota Agriculture Commissioner Thom Petersen says Minnesota’s hog market is in a tough situation. “A few of our hogs in Minnesota go to Smithfield Foods in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We’re trying to find homes for those hogs on the line at other plants,” says Petersen. “It’s challenging as other plants shut down. We’re only able to slaughter so many at local plants.” Keeping plants running will be key. “As you see around the Midwest, it’s not just Smithfield. There are other companies and plants going down and workers getting sick. We need to keep workers healthy. If we have more plants go down, we’re going to be in a perilous situation.”
