Today, we continue our recapping of the Vice President?s roundtable discussion on the food chain, which was held in West Des Moines at HyVee headquarters. Yesterday, we heard remarks from Vice President Mike Pence. Today, we will hear from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.
Audio: Secretary Sonny Perdue’s comments at HyVee headquarters in West Des Moines
To understand the conundrum of the disruption to the food supply in the United States, you first must understand where we were just a few short weeks and months ago. As Secretary Perdue put it, Americans have been ?spoiled? when it comes to food.
Perdue said he was even guilty of not fully comprehending the dual-supply chain of food and the efficiency with which it ran. He applauded those who have worked hard to realign the food supply during this pandemic.
Perdue said that the reactions at the onset of the pandemic created a ?National Hurricane Warning? effect. People were panic buying food, which led to even more panic. Secretary Perdue praised grocers like HyVee and Kroger for working hard to keep shelves stocked and consumers calm.
Secretary Perdue said the Executive order from President Trump was needed to provide the protection of meatpacking workers? health and safety. Perdue said it is critical to get this supply chain up and running safely and do it as quickly as possible.
Perdue said he believes we have ?turned the corner.? He said that we have responded to the critical situation in our meatpacking facilities, and he believes that we will see the amounts of meat go back up and the varieties start to show up on shelves. Perdue says this is a testament to the fortitude of the American workers.
