The flu that’s sweeping Mexico and across some states in the U.S. is causing some consternation from a group of small-business owners: those in the $15 billion domestic pork industry. They believe it’s just bad publicity.
“It’s killing our markets,” said Francis Gilmore, 72, who runs a 600-hog operation in Perry, Iowa, to the Associated Press. “Where they got the name, I just don’t know.”
The swine flu strain doesn’t exactly come from pigs, but a hybrid of sorts from humans, swine and bird influenza. Still, the name has caused plenty of damage: Consumers aren’t buying pork products and diners aren’t sure about eating bacon, ham or pork chops either. (Public-health officials say the swine flu virus isn’t food borne, but spreads through human contact.)
Hog prices nationwide have dropped to an average of about $59 per 100 pounds of carcass on Tuesday morning from $62 last Thursday, when first reports of the virus came out, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. What’s more, prices haven’t been able to get the usual bump they get during spring – usually more than $70 in late April and May. In addition, China, Russia and Ukraine are banning imports of pork and pork products from parts of the U.S., as well as Mexico. Other countries are increasing pork-import screenings.
“We’re discussing, is there a better way to describe this that would not lead to inappropriate actions on people’s part?” said Dr. Richard Besser, acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, to the AP. “In the public, we’ve been seeing a fair amount of misconception … and that’s not helpful.”
Still, small-business owners are fighting back. Having survived peanut and pistachio scares, many in the food and restaurant industry know that reassuring consumers is paramount.
Richard Averitte, marketing director for a North Carolina chain called Smithfield’s Chicken ‘N Bar-B-Q, informed consumers via its Web site, Facebook account and Twitter feed, as well as in local TV and radio interviews, that it’s still OK to consume its large BBQ platter with cole slaw, potato salad and hushpuppies.
“I didn’t really want to put a sign on the window because that would give people the wrong idea,” Mr. Averitte told QSR magazine, a trade publication. “We just want to keep our customers informed. I wanted to nip it in the bud right now. I wanted to make it crystal clear, get out all the confusion and questions, and state the facts.”
For their part, hog producers are aggressively showing that their operations are clean. Farmers are increasing their handwashing, restricting visitors and outside contact at their farms, preventing birds from interacting with pigs and separating hogs that come from multiple hog farms.
Are the steps these small-business owners doing enough? What would you do in this situation?
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