Tyson Foods announced it will be indefinitely suspending operations at its Waterloo, Iowa pork plant this week.
The facility is the company’s biggest pork plant and has been running at reduced levels of production because workers have been absent.
In an interview with KWWL News, Tyson said it will stop production mid-week until further notice.
All of the facility’s 2.800 workers are invited to the plant later this week to get tested for COVID-19.
In a released statement Group President of Tyson Fresh Meats, Steve Stouffer said:
“Protecting our team members is our top priority and the reason we’ve implemented numerous safety measures during this challenging and unprecedented time. Despite our continued efforts to keep our people safe while fulfilling our critical role of feeding American families, the combination of worker absenteeism, COVID-19 cases and community concerns has resulted in our decision to stop production. The closure has significant ramifications beyond our company, since the plant is part of a larger supply chain that includes hundreds of independent farmers, truckers, distributors and customers, including grocers. It means the loss of a vital market outlet for farmers and further contributes to the disruption of the nation’s pork supply.”
According to Tyson, Waterloo workers who have been affected will continue to be compensated while the plant is closed.
Many factors will go into reopening the plant, including the result of the COVID-19 testing on the plant’s workers.
Farmers should anticipate continued upward pressure on farm labor costs and monitor policy changes that may further impact hiring decisions.
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