•March 25, 2020•
By Ben Orner
Capitol News Illinois
borner @ capitolnewsillinois.com

Meat has been among the most in-demand items at supermarkets as people stock up on essentials amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
That has people up and down Illinois’ livestock supply chain – especially producers of beef and pork – trying to keep up. Industry leaders say the Illinois factories processing beef and pork are running at normal capacity with multiple shifts a day to keep shelves and meat cases stocked.
“There has been and continues to be a steady supply reaching consumers,” said Jill Johnson, executive vice president of the Illinois Beef Association. “In the beef industry right now, there’s nothing that’s pointing to not being able to fulfill that demand.”
As orders for pork – of which Illinois is the fourth-biggest producer in the country – come in more frequently from grocery stores, the state’s three major pork packing facilities are functioning at normal capacity, according to Illinois Pork Producers Association Executive Director Jennifer Tirey.     Login or Subscribe to read the rest of this story.