Perdue Farms will eliminate 293 jobs at its turkey-processing plant in Washington, Ind., according to several local news reports, as it adjusts its turkey operations to changing consumer demand and smaller turkey flocks there.
The jobs losses are the result of the elimination of second shift production, and a Perdue spokesperson told one news outlet that was the only shift impacted. The company said it expected the move to be permanent, and that the move would not include any changes at the feed mill, grain receiving facility, hatchery and breeder operations in Indiana, nor would there be any farm closures.
Perdue also said it would do all it could to support impacted employees. Layoffs were anticipated to happen October 10.
Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.
