Reeves and Gipson urge Mississippians not to hoard food

In his daily COVID-19 update to Mississippians Thursday, Gov. Tate Reeves said there is no immediate danger of running out of food.

“You do not need to hoard,” Reeves said. “You do not need to empty the shelves of your local grocery store. That will do more harm than good. You will get what you need. The supply chain is still working, although stressed.”

Andy Gipson, Mississippi’s commissioner of agriculture and commerce, echoed Reeves’ sentiments, saying, “We do not have a shortage of food in this state. We do not have a shortage of food in this country.”

Gipson said that none of the recent shutdowns of meat processing plants in other areas of the country “rise to the level of threatening our food supply.”

In fact, he said, restaurant and school closures have lowered the nation’s domestic demand for food by about half.

“If anything, we have more food than we know what to do with,” he said.

The commissioner also reiterated Reeves’ request for Mississippians not to hoard food. “Stay calm. Keep shopping. Buy what you need for a week or two,” Gipson said.

“Don’t panic,” he added. “Don’t hoard.”