GULFPORT, Miss. ( WJTV ) – Thousands of U.S. dock workers remain on strike as members of the International Longshoremen’s Association. Mississippi leaders fear a prolonged strike could affect the state’s economy and its farmers.

“Sadly, it’s already disrupted our flow of commerce for most of our agriculture products that ship by container. Poultry being the biggest one of those. A lot of it goes out of Mobile, and they’re closed down, so everything’s kind of on hold, it’s bottlenecking,” said Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson (R-Miss.).

He said the closures are interrupting the shipment of $1.4 billion in agricultural goods a week. According to Gipson, a nationwide shortage of imported items could cost local stores and consumers.

“We’re not going to be able to get everything that we’re used to getting, and we don’t really know yet what all that may be, but fruits, fresh vegetables that are coming from other parts of the world where the growing season is longer. We’re going to have an interruption of some of those products,” Gipson said.

John Corley, a farmer in Lumberton, said he doesn’t believe Mississippi farmers will be greatly impacted by the strikes. However, he’s concerned that items shipped by container may be hard to come by.

“I think about things like chemicals that I need, fertilizers and herbicides and so forth, that we use. And so, a number of those things are coming in those containers and come from overseas,” Corley said.

Gipson urged Mississippians not to panic buy. The Port of Gulfport remains open.

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