US pork processors close down temporarily
US pork production will be reduced in the remainder of this week and early next week as well. Due to excess pork and floating holidays, several plants will be closed, press agency Reuters reports.
According to industry sources the largest decrease will take place early next week, when six plants are expected to down, reducing production by about 23%.
The reduction comes at a time when the USA is producing more pork than it can use. A slowdown in pork exports due to the global recession and fears over the novel influenza A virus (H1N1) has put an excess of the meat in domestic channels, said Glenn Grimes, agricultural economist at the University of Missouri.
Pork plants
At least two pork plants will be down on Friday and up to six will be down on Monday, according to livestock dealers who monitor pork production. Two of next week’s closings will be due to floating holidays.
On Friday, Smithfield Foods plants in Sioux Falls, SD, and Sioux City, IA, are scheduled to be down, dealers said.
Next week’s scheduled closings currently include the Smithfield plants in Clinton and Tar Heel, NC, and in Smithfield, VA; the Hormel Foods plants in Austin, MN, and Fremont, NE, and the JBS-Swift plant in Worthington, MN.
Related websites:
Reuters
Smithfield Foods
University of Missouri
Hormel Foods
JBS-Swift
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