Pork farmers face tough times with plant closures

JBS pork plant.
The JBS pork plant in Worthington, Minn. shown on April 18, 2020.
Aaron Lavinsky | Star Tribune via AP

Wednesday was the last day of operations at JBS pork processing plant in Worthington before its indefinite closure. This comes after reports of dozens of employees at the plant tested positive for COVID-19.

JBS is the largest slaughterhouse and meat processing plant in Minnesota and its closure closely follows that of another massive facility just over state lines in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The closures mark tough times for local pork farmers. For more on that Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Wanda Patsche. She and her husband raise pigs, corn and soybeans in Martin County, near the Iowa border.

Listen to the interview on the audio player above.

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