Tyson Foods has been forced to close two pork processing plants due to outbreaks of coronavirus infection.
Operations at the plant in Waterloo, Iowa, its largest pork processing plant in the U.S., have been indefinitely suspended after more than 100 cases of COVID-19 were detected there. The plant had been operating at a lower capacity. Tyson says it will compensate the 2,800 plant workers during the closure. In addition, Tyson is temporarily closing another pork processing plant in Logansport, Ind.
The closing of the two Tyson plants will reduce U.S. slaughterhouse capacity by 19%, according to CNBC. Hog farmers are becoming concerned that they will have to hold onto their hogs past prime slaughtering time, which could possibly lower the quality of the meat.
