From Reuters:
Smithfield Foods Inc, the world’s biggest pork processor, resumed limited operations on Monday at a massive South Dakota slaughterhouse it closed last month because of the coronavirus pandemic, the union representing plant employees said.
The closure of the plant and other slaughterhouses due to coronavirus cases among employees has led to temporary shortages of U.S. meat products and left farmers without markets for their hogs, forcing some to euthanize livestock.
Smithfield, owned by China’s WH Group Ltd,reopened the ground seasoned pork and night cleanup departments at the plant in Sioux Falls, about three weeks after saying the facility would shut indefinitely, a spokeswoman for the United Food and Commercial Workers said.
About 250 of the plant’s 3,700 workers went back to work, she said. The company plans to gradually restart more operations and has not resumed slaughtering hogs, according to the union.
The company said in an emailed statement it had not resumed operations at the facility, which accounted for about 5% of U.S. pork production....MORE
