A spokesperson for Smithfield Foods told FeedNavigator:
"The decision to close these sow farms was made in May and it was in response to challenging market conditions. This decision was widely reported after we notified our employees."
All impacted employees are receiving transition assistance, including the option to move into other positions with the company, said the representative.
According to Reuters 35 hog farm sites are set to cease operation including 13 sites in Newtown, Missouri; 12 in Lucerne, Missouri; and 10 in Princeton, Missouri.
The parent company of Smithfield, the world’s largest pork processor, is Hong Kong's WH Group.
Tyson poultry plant closures
Meanwhile, Tyson Foods announced earlier this week that it was shuttering four poultry plants in the US due to declining demand, market conditions, and higher feed costs.
It expects to shift production to other facilities and cease operations at the impacted locations in our first two quarters of fiscal 2024.
“The difficult decision to close four chicken facilities in North Little Rock, Arkansas, Corydon, Indiana, Dexter, Missouri and Noel, Missouri, demonstrates our commitment to bold action and operational excellence as we drive performance, including lower costs and improving capacity utilization, and build on our strategy of making Tyson Foods stronger in the long-term,” said Donnie King, CEO, Tyson Foods.
“While current market dynamics remain challenging, Tyson Foods is fully committed to our vision of delivering sustainable, top line growth and margin improvement,” he added.
In May this year, Tyson closed two chicken plants in Arkansas and Virginia, with 1,700 jobs cuts the result.
