Smithfield Foods to Close North Carolina Pork Plant

Dan Economy, Pork

Smithfield Foods will close its Charlotte, North Carolina pork-processing plant and transfer production to its Tar Heel, North Carolina facility. The company says the move is to increase efficiency and better utilize existing capacity, and comes as the company faces “abundant supplies and soft demand” weighing on pork prices. The company will provide financial and other transition assistance to the …

Smithfield Foods Closing 35 Missouri Hog Farms

Dan Economy, Pork

We told you earlier this week that Tyson Foods had announced the planned closure of four of their chicken processing facilities in the U.S. Now, Smithfield Foods has announced they will close 35 hog farm operations in Missouri. According to a state-required workforce adjustment notification, 92 employees would be affected by the closures slated for this month. Murphy Brown LLC, …

Smithfield Foods Wins Environmental and Safety Awards

Dan Beef, Cattle, Livestock, Marketing

The North American Meat Institute (NAMI) recently held its 2022 environmental awards and worker safety recognition programs. Smithfield Foods won awards for its environmental and safety achievements. “Protecting the environment, including decreasing our carbon footprint, implementing water conservation strategies, and reducing packaging have all been Smithfield priorities for decades,” says Stewart Leeth, chief sustainability officer for Smithfield. “These priorities are …

Smithfield Sending Food to Florida

Dan This Land of Ours

Helping out those hit the hardest by Hurricane Ian. That’s coming up on This Land of Ours. Smithfield Foods is sending more than 37,000 pounds of food – the equivalent of 150,000 servings – to Fort Myers, Florida, through its Helping Hungry Homes® program in response to the devastation caused by Hurricane Ian. The protein will be delivered to Mercy Chefs, a Portsmouth, Virginia-based nonprofit …

Meatpacker Closings Hard on Food Supply Chain

Dan Industry News Release, Pork

(NAFB) — Smithfield Foods will close its pork processing plant in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, until further notice because of employees who tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s just one of several major agricultural facilities temporarily closing operations due to the pandemic. Virginia-based Smithfield Foods says the closures are a trend that may eventually put a dent in the U.S. …

Shutdown Delays Smithfield N.C. Trial

Dan Industry News Release, Pork

A federal judge has delayed the Smithfield Foods trial in North Carolina as the case is another victim of the government shutdown. The start of the case was postponed because juror’s pay could not be guaranteed, according to meat industry publication Meatingplace. A federal judge delayed the trial scheduled to begin this week, and noted the hearing would be rescheduled …

Grassley: No Trade Aid for Smithfield Foods

Dan Industry News Release, Trade

When it comes to just who is eligible for trade aid, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley said Smithfield Foods shouldn’t be one of the companies which are eligible help. Smithfield is owned by Chinese conglomerate WH Group. Grassley took to Twitter and says, “Smithfield seems to be in a ‘can’t-lose’ situation thanks to American taxpayers.” A spokesman for the Iowa Republican, …

China-owned Smithfield Foods Eligible for U.S. Trade Relief

Dan Industry News Release, Pork

China-owned Smithfield Foods is eligible for payments under the $12 billion aid package for farmers. The Washington Post reports word of the eligibility has made smaller pork producers unhappy. The Virginia-based, but China-owned, pork company can apply for federal money under a program created this summer. JBS of Brazil is also eligible to apply. The Department of Agriculture announced the …

Smithfield Foods Hit with Hefty Penalty in North Carolina

Dan Economy, Industry News Release, Pork

A federal jury in North Carolina decided on Friday that Smithfield Foods would have to pay a hefty dollar amount of $473.5 million dollars to neighbors of three of the company’s large hog farms. The neighbors had filed an unreasonable nuisance lawsuit because of odors, flies, and large trucks rumbling down the road. The jury says Smithfield owes the compensation …