DES MOINES, Iowa - Four leading Iowa Republicans have sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence, asking for "immediate assistance" for the state's pork producers.
Governor Kim Reynolds, U.S. Senators Joni Ernst and Chuck Grassley, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig want more support from the administration for pork producers.
The letter asks for resources to safely reopen processing plants.
It also seeks help to humanely euthanize hogs, and compensation for farmers who have to depopulate their stock of animals. It further asks for mental health support, saying producers who must euthanize animals cannot be forgotten.
The letter notes U.S. pork production has lost approximately 25 percent of its processing capacity over the last 3-4 weeks.