The longer this goes on, the worse things are getting. Enormous damage has already been done to the economy. It's not going to go back to normal with the flip of a switch. There is another thread or two about food supplies here, but let's bump this up. The quicker we know, the quicker we can adjust and do what's right for us and ours. 

If you see anything that YOU would want to know, please share it here when you find it. As soon as there is a rumor of real food shortages, we are going to see looting and worse. 

STAY SAFE

I was reading yesterday about the closing of the Smithfield plant. Which there was a link that took me to another story that said there were currently 10 beef, chicken and pork plants in the USA and Canada closed down. This is not including the Smithfield one, because they don't have enough workers, that they were all getting sick 

This is going to get ugly fast in the meat industries.  Too many people sick and closings.  Not meat packers no meat at the stores.  No meats people are going to get not nice.  I have a lot of freeze dry foods and lots of rice and beans.  I have wheat berries in cans and a grinder to make wheat.   I knew years ago that food would get low even in a light pandemic.  Can you guys imagine if this was a really deadly pandemic!!!

Even if they try and open things up this virus will come back.  Any one looking at China to see if they are open?

They already have a limit at all the stores here from what I  understand (I haven't actually been to a store). They are limiting the amount of meat and other items you can buy. 2 packages of beef, 2 chicken, 2 pork. That's at all the stores. We did a pickup order and I could only order 2 of anything: 2 packages of hamburger, 2 packs of carrots, 2 sodas......they were out of toilet paper. 

We have had limits of 80 items all told  and only 3 of each type of thing for weeks.

You can, for instance, buy 3 birds custard powder and 3 shops own brand and 3 value range and three own brand sugar free (total=12) but only 3 of each.  Then you can go to another shop.

We are told this 'rationing' is because of last-minute-preppers, but time will tell.

Technophobe wrote: We have had limits of 80 items all told  and only 3 of each type of thing for weeks. You can, for instance, buy 3 birds custard powder and 3 shops own brand and 3 value range and three own brand sugar free (total=12) but only 3 of each.  Then you can go to another shop. We are told this 'rationing' is because of last-minute-preppers, but time will tell.

That's really interesting about the 80 items. I haven't heard of that before. We have limits on certain things such as flour and rice. Flour is almost unobtainable here. So is yeast. I buy my flour directly from a local farmer and she's refused to take on any new clients, she's only selling to her regulars. I spoke to her last week and she thinks she can eke the supply out until the end of the year. I think what she's doing is really public spirited because her harvest is already in and she could sell the lot in a week and do nothing for the rest of the year but instead she's carrying on as usual. 

I also get my yeast from a local bakery and they've stopped selling it because so many people were asking. Thankfully they are still selling it to me because I've been buying it every week for years, so I'm feeling very lucky that the relationships I've built over the years are good enough to guarantee my family a regular supply even in these difficult times. 

Meat is plentiful here in NZ. It's one of our main exports and we have too much of it now since the export trade has slowed. The supermarket was overflowing with it the other day and there were no restrictions. They were still doing price specials so supply must be good. 

I am reading that world rice supplies are looking threatened and there'll be a real shortage in the coming months. It might be worth stocking up. It's limited here to 2 packs per person.

I can see this playing out for a year or even two.  I can't say I'm worried, my country has been here before and coped quite well. 

I am really glad I'm a prepper, this could make 'rationing' far easier to handle.  Last time we had to do it, no one starved (in fact the diet was really healthy) but it was a little tough.

Limits I am seeing and trying to go out as little as possible. Limit on toilet paper, paper towels, bleach, disinfectant one each.  Anything else is what you want. Canned meats are low but fresh right now are there.  I am a vegetarian, but my family are not so I am trying to make sure they have that.