Food Processing Centers Across US Burning Down As Food Crisis Worsens

[Hydrogen]

From the SF Chronicle:

[A] Salinas food processing plant… was ravaged by fire overnight and prompted a hazardous material scare…

The fire at a Taylor Farms facility was contained by Thursday afternoon. About 90% of the building where the blaze started was considered a total loss, Salinas Deputy Fire Chief Samuel Klemek said at a news conference. No injuries or fatalities were reported. The cause of the fire is under investigation.

This is the largest independent food distributor in the US, but it’s only their headquarters, and will only effect their production in modest ways, they say.

However, in just the last few weeks, multiple food processing plants have burned down or been destroyed under mysterious circumstances. You can see many of them in the screenshot above. Consider theses other examples:

• Feb 22nd: Shearer’s Foods in Hermiston ruled “big loss” in Oregon
• March 23rd: Fire destroys Walmart warehouse distribution center
• March 29th: 50,000 lb of food destroyed after fire ripped through Maricopa Food Pantry
• March 30th: Large Produce Warehouse burns down in San Jose TX

Outside of the US, there are fires at food processing plants and warehouses as well.

• In March, a huge fire breaks out at Carrefour logistics center in northern Taiwan.
• Another food processing plant burned down yesterday in Darfur.

Union Pacific has mandated that shippers reduce the volume of cars on its railroad immediately, which includes fertilizer:

On Friday, April 8, 2022, Union Pacific informed CF Industries without advance notice that it was mandating certain shippers to reduce the volume of private cars on its railroad effective immediately. The Company was told to reduce its shipments by nearly 20%…

“The timing of this action by Union Pacific could not come at a worse time for farmers,” said Tony Will, president and chief executive officer, CF Industries Holdings, Inc. “Not only will fertilizer be delayed by these shipping restrictions, but additional fertilizer needed to complete spring applications may be unable to reach farmers at all. By placing this arbitrary restriction on just a handful of shippers, Union Pacific is jeopardizing farmers’ harvests and increasing the cost of food for consumers.”

Workers speculate that the railroads owned by Wall Street hedge funds are purposely sabotaging the industry as a prelude to a bailout.

Companies such as the railroad no longer crash and burn when management cuts to the bone and runs their operation into the ground. They are too big to fail. They run themselves into the ground, and then they get a big taxpayer bailout as a reward.

We also have a bird flu epidemic going on which has resulted in millions of chickens being culled to stop the spread:

A virulent bird flu epidemic has reached at least 30 states and resulted in nearly 27 million chickens and turkeys being destroyed to check its spread…  No humans have tested positive in the US, but the economic toll could be major: The epidemic is also fueling a surge in egg and chicken prices. The first US epidemic, in 2015, cost the poultry industry more than $1.5 billion and caused egg prices to nearly double.

https://www.vulgartrader.com/post/682088314906492928/food-processing-centers-across-us-burning-down-as

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A quick keyword search reveals there are approximately 36,000 food and beverage processing plants in the united states. I'm not certain if the loss of less than 1% of them as reported by the media will make a significant difference. Loss of food processing plants to fire and boiler explosions would be a relatively routine event which is not commonly reported on.

With food shortages, and higher food prices in stores, people are definitely looking for something or someone to hold accountable. Could accidental loss of food processing plants be responsible. I was thinking if some of the bigger processing plants were destroyed while also being uninsured and opted to not reconstruct, it could make a dent in food production. Although I'm not certain what percentage of total production output the largest plants can account for.

Also if food shortages do become a crisis situation, what is everyones plan for mitigating these issues. What is a good plan for coping with food shortages. Will we revert to traditional hunter gatherer societal tactics and engage in more recreational fishing and hunting. With collection of wild growing crops. Can we grow our own harvest using guerilla gardening and other tactics suited to urban settings.

How does everyone feel about this.

[adaseb]

Yes I saw this earlier on Twitter and if you read the comments it’s pretty much click bait. It seems like a major issue because most don’t realize how many meat processing plants there are. Since there are thousands then it’s no surprise for there to be accidents and fires every day or so.

This is why you need to source carefully when it comes to whatever you are reading. Same with all these reports about people going to grocery stores and everything is sold out. It just isn’t true and it’s most likely posted just to get clicks for the news paper that wrote it.

[Rruchi man]

One event cannot be blamed for the shortages, but rather a series of events coincidentally happening together even more than what OP has mentioned.

Can we grow our own harvest using guerilla gardening and other tactics suited to urban settings.

Truth is, your own crops may not be sufficient to sustain you and perhaps your family long enough. We all have to adjust our expenses on food because the prices are not coming down anytime soon especially now. Even If the government of any country facing food crisis goes into large scale agriculture now, it will take a while for it's effects to be felt. Maybe temporarily the government of any country facing food crisis should turn to importation from established countries that agriculture is their main export to keep food in circulation, whilst working on boosting their domestic agricultural sector.

[avikz]

A quick keyword search reveals there are approximately 36,000 food and beverage processing plants in the united states. I'm not certain if the loss of less than 1% of them as reported by the media will make a significant difference. Loss of food processing plants to fire and boiler explosions would be a relatively routine event which is not commonly reported on.

If 1% loss in the entire food processing chain makes a significant difference, United States need to re-think its food strategy seriously! Food processing businesses are serious in nature and must be a part of their strategic initiatives, just same as the oil reserve. In unforeseen events like War and crisis, people wouldn't need a Tesla car, rather they will need food. Just do a Google search on Japanese Sticky rice and you will understand why Japanese government buys that sticky rice from farmers at high prices. That's their strategic initiative for unforeseen events.

I don't think this loss wouldn't make any significant difference though. Accidents are part of any business where fire and boilers are involved. That's why insurance companies are here to cover you from the losses. If a certain company choose not to reconstruct, some other person will be ready to fulfil the need. That's how it works!

[Moneyprism]

this is the importance of generalizing the food industry in America,, people must be able to produce some of their needs in their homes or vacant land ... things like this have been done in my country and until now even though there is inflation globally, but here the cost of food still quite low

[Lucius]

Someone is just trying to create a conspiracy theory around the whole situation by implying that someone is deliberately sabotaging such centers, even though such things have probably happened before even though no one has paid too much attention to them. What is missing in the whole story may be terrorism, perhaps blaming hackers from Iran or North Korea who caused the fires by hacking electrical installations in those warehouses

Also if food shortages do become a crisis situation, what is everyones plan for mitigating these issues. What is a good plan for coping with food shortages. Will we revert to traditional hunter gatherer societal tactics and engage in more recreational fishing and hunting. With collection of wild growing crops. Can we grow our own harvest using guerilla gardening and other tactics suited to urban settings.

How does everyone feel about this.

Hunting and fishing should not be a problem in the US, at least there are enough weapons and everyone uses them - and fishing is not hard to learn - although mass hunting of wild animals would very likely mean their extinction. Recall that in the past with a much smaller population in the US there has been a complete destruction of some species by excessive killing for meat and fur.

For those who have some land or garden there is always the option to grow their own fruits and vegetables, or to keep chickens, rabbits, and goats. The problem is that people have lost those skills over time, and supermarkets have become the source of everything they need to live. That may change, but it is the decision of each individual and family - although those living in urban areas do not have too many choices when it comes to their own production.

[Flexystar]

The problem is with harvests being stored in large quantity at one place. US shares huge % of storage food and frozen food. There is no problem with it but with huge storage comes the risks of management. As stated in the quoted articles, fires, is the biggest risk followed by storms, heavy rains etc. The food supply chain depends on these storage’s and raw materials there in.
The only viable solution could be fresh harvest moving around the country. Frankly, US has big land, less population and they can really manage it very well.