From Reader Kaye..

*******************************

by Ken Jorgustin

Several recent articles and news reports indicate that potentially major food shortages may become a shocking reality in just weeks. That is, if the food industry cannot acquire enough PPE (personal protection equipment) gear.

As you well know, there are already some food shortages in the majority of grocery stores. However a leaked FEMA document raises additional concerns of increasingly severe food shortages in a matter of weeks if the food industry and distribution channels are not adequately supplied with PPE.

Reported at yahoo.news, the FEMA document titled “Senior Leadership Brief COVID-19” (dated April 2, 2020) “It contains a brief description of findings made by the Food Supply Chain Task Force on the availability of PPE.”

There would be shortages of milk within 24 hours and of fresh fruits and vegetables “within several days.”

The document estimates that “meat, poultry, seafood, and processed eggs” would become scarce within a period of two to four weeks,

while “dry goods and processed foods inventories” — that is, the non-perishables that are pantry staples — could become scarce “as soon as four weeks” after face masks and gloves run out across the food supply chain.

~ yahoo.news

^^ You might want to read that again.

More reports:

Two terminals for the Port of Houston were recently shut down after an employee tested positive for coronavirus.

Pennsylvania briefly closed most of its truck stops and service areas to slow the spread of the virus, threatening to also slow the distribution of food and other goods.

Some meat packagers around the country were at 3/4 capacity because of illness.

~ NYT

One of the nations largest poultry producers, Sanderson Farms, has disclosed that 11 eleven of its workers have become ill with COVID-19 in six different plants across the country.

~ HuffPost

Reportedly the Food and Agriculture Administration also expects global food shortages in April and May. Especially as nations take steps to protect their own food supplies. COVID-19 Coronavirus is wreaking havoc on foreign supply chains around the globe.

People within the complex food supply systems are getting ill from COVID-19.

The spreading virus is beginning to more seriously impact the food industry from production, to processing, packing, to distribution and delivery. The systems are strained.

PPE that does exist is being prioritized to hospitals and medical services. There’s simply not enough to go around. The whole world wants masks and PPE.

The next several weeks appear to be crucial. Apparently if the food industry cannot get adequately supplied with PPE, there will likely be very serious food shortages.

And then things get real interesting…

https://modernsurvivalblog.com/pandemic/severe-food-shortages-in-weeks-without-ppe/