As I sit down to write this editorial, many of us are in the middle of changes we never anticipated. COVID-19 has transformed the way we live our lives and run our businesses.

A study released April 14, 2020, estimates cattle industry losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic will reach $13.6 billion.

More tremors are hitting the beef industry as a key packing facility in Colorado will be closing for almost two weeks to address rising COVID-19 health risks to plant employees.

The U.S. meat industry faces unprecedented threats as COVID-19 sweeps through labor forces at meat processing facilities nationwide.

Get the latest news updates, press releases and other resources to help members of the beef industry deal with the impact of COVID-19. Email additional news and resources to editor@progressivecattle.com.

The sale must go on – or does it?

Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act on March 31, pouring $2 trillion into the economy and aid for those affected by COVID-19. Although some lawmakers balked at the hefty price tag, there was strong bipartisan support for the bill.

Tyson Foods announced on March 31 that it will pay out approximately $60 million in bonuses to front-line workers and truckers as “a ‘thank you’ for feeding the nation during [the] COVID-19 pandemic.”

The COVID-19 outbreak is affecting milk demand and plant capacity to process it. As a result, reports of surplus milk being dumped are on the rise. While the thought of dumping milk is deplorable at a time when so many people need it, market disruptions sometimes make it the only alternative.

In a 13-minute video to members of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) on Monday, CEO Colin Woodall outlined the steps the association has taken in the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and its aftershocks in beef production.