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'We're very concerned': Texas farmers fear future as meat plants close

"It's very important not only for the economic well-being of the producer, but to keep enough on the shelves for consumers."

FLORESVILLE, Texas — A quick drive an hour south of San Antonio will help you escape noise, but even for those in the country, things are just a little too quiet.

Especially for farmers like Russell Boening, a partner at Boening Brothers Dairy Farm and also president of the Texas Farm Bureau. 

"For sure. There's some serious pain in about every segment of agriculture," he said as he sat on his truck in Wilson County. 

The coronavirus is plowing through yet another industry.

"Nearly every commodity – whether its milk, whether its beef – everyone has pretty much dropped 20% to 30% in price in the last three or four weeks," Boening said. "We're very concerned about our processing plants."

Meat plants across the country have had to close or cut back on business as they try to keep workers healthy and the environment sanitized. But that has a ripple effect on ranchers who have cattle ready to be processed.

"We want to keep the plants open. We understand the workers need to be kept safe as well, but it's very important not only for the economic well-being of the producer, but to keep enough on the shelves for consumers," Boening said. 

They hope those consumers see the real trouble the agriculture industry is in. As the USDA works to make relief money available, Boening said he hopes this disease toils fast and the country can get back to normal. 

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