How Wisconsin Kept the Food Supply Chain Moving During COVID-19

In partnership with: Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection.

COVID-19 has affected every part of American business and society. Wisconsin’s farmers and the industries that transport and distribute farm products were challenged by the bottlenecks that affected parts of the agricultural supply and distribution chains.

Transportation is an essential part of moving Wisconsin agricultural products to market. To move product from the field to retailers and finally to consumers, Wisconsin agriculture depends on a functional system of roads, highways, railways and ports. During the pandemic, the critical intersection between agricultural production, the food supply chain, and consumers became much clearer.

“COVID-19 created challenges across the supply chain that had never been seen before,” says Joel Nilsestuen, assistant deputy secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT).

Early in the pandemic, WisDOT collaborated with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to interact with state agricultural organizations. Connecting those dots helped both agencies to learn more about the industry’s needs and challenges and help them brainstorm solutions.

Listening to Industry Concerns

Wisconsin farmers grow and produce a wide variety of products, including dairy, cattle, field corn, soybeans, poultry, hogs, eggs and hay. The state is also a leading U.S. producer of potatoes and cranberries. Each of those commodities necessitate distinctive production, handling and transport requirements.

In one example, Wisconsin’s dairy processors could not quickly transition from the infrastructure needed to process milk destined for schools or cafeterias to the individual gallon jugs of milk that would be shipped to or purchased by consumers for home use. This led to temporary backups as well as confusion and concern among consumers who did not understand why their grocery store’s milk case could be temporarily empty while some dairy farmers had to dispose of milk that had nowhere to go.

In the livestock and meat processing industries, bottlenecks in the supply chain became particularly apparent. Higher-end cuts of meat, such as steaks, required additional cold storage capacity. Meanwhile, supermarkets found it difficult to keep other cuts of meat, including ground beef, stocked on retail shelves.

See more: Export Market Buys Majority of Wisconsin’s Soybean Crop

Early in the pandemic, consumers moved from eating at restaurants, schools and cafeterias to preparing and eating meals at home.

“This rapid and dramatic change in consumer purchasing created unprecedented demand in new areas, upending the types, packaging, and labeling required for the flow of products,” observes Nilsestuen.

Communication Wins in Addressing Food Supply Chain Issues

To address these challenges, DATCP coordinated regular conference calls between multiple segments of the ag industry, including crops and agribusiness, the dairy industry, livestock and animal health, food supply and delivery, and agricultural lending and insurance. The calls allowed state and federal government agencies, including WisDOT, to share information and hear firsthand from those involved about their concerns and the need for solutions.

By participating in DATCP’s industry conference calls, WisDOT learned the importance of keeping lines of communication open during the pandemic. “One thing we learned during COVID-19 was how important it is to maintain communication,” says Nilsestuen.

See more: Wisconsin Food Processors Advance Industry

The calls helped DATCP and WisDOT understand the challenges Wisconsin agriculture was facing, and built lasting connections between the industry and the state. In the conversations, agricultural leaders shared how the availability of trucks was a challenge in transporting products to market. WisDOT listened to their contributions and worked to modify transport oversize/overweight limits. The department also ensured truckers could still access rest areas in the early weeks and months of the pandemic. WisDOT also instituted emergency hours of service exemptions and worked closely with the trucking industry to help address its needs.

Ultimately, these adjustments made a big difference in keeping Wisconsin’s food supply chain moving ­– a definite win for all departments and individuals involved.