US livestock and poultry farmers face having to euthanise millions of cattle, pigs and chickens in the weeks ahead because of the forced shutdown of meat processing plants due to COVID-19.

In recent weeks, about 20 meat processing plants in the US have been shut down due to outbreaks of COVID-19 among staff. Some of the world’s large meat companies like JBS, Tyson Foods, Smithfield and Cargill have all been forced to shutter meat plants across the US midwest in recent weeks.

It’s believed as much as 30% of the pork processing capacity in the US has been lost due to the closure of these sites. This lost processing capacity is already forcing many US farmers to euthanise their animals, but the situation could get a lot worse.

The unfolding crisis prompted Tyson Foods, the largest meat company in the US, to take a full page ad in the New York Times to warn consumers that farmers will be forced to euthanise millions of pigs, chickens and cattle due to the closure of processing plants.

Tyson warned that food supply chains are breaking and there could be shortages of meat on US supermarket shelves as a result.