News Corona crisis
Tönnies has to close the Sögel location due to corona
The German meat concern Tönnies is again hit by corona. Slaughterhouse Weidemark in Sögel, Germany, is struggling with high levels of infection among staff members. The Emsland district has therefore decided that the location must close its doors.
In total, 112 of the approximately 1.100 employees have tested positive for the corona virus. The slaughterhouse was no longer operating at full capacity, but will now be closed for at least 11 days as a result of the closure order from Sunday (22 October).
slaughter rate
The slaughterhouse in Sögel was no longer running at full capacity due to the corona infections. Under normal circumstances, 12.000 pigs per day can be slaughtered, in recent days only 7.000 pigs per day were hung on the slaughter hook.
The shutdown order comes as a surprise. The spokesman for Tönnies said on Tuesday that he was still confident in the situation, the slaughter could be continued at a slower pace.
Also with Vion infections
The Tönies slaughter location in Sögel is not the only slaughterhouse where the infections are increasing. Several employees at Vion in Emstek have also tested positive. In total, 63 employees have the corona virus. Reportedly they all work in the cutting department. Activities are limited, but not completely shut down.
Keep your head above water
The fact that the situation of corona infections in German slaughterhouses is becoming increasingly critical is making it increasingly difficult for the pig chain to keep its head above water. There are still many pigs hanging above the market because the corona crisis has already significantly disrupted the slaughter process. Now that the African swine fever has also reared its head, the market is completely hanging and strangling.
This week was already a German emergency call done for the insertion of extra slaughter days. For example, special permits were requested to allow extra slaughter capacity on Sundays and public holidays. There was also a plea for an extension of working hours, in order to allow the accumulated supply to dry up.
Now that the corona infections continue to rise, not only are feelings on the German pig market rising, but concerns are also increasing in the Netherlands. Dutch sales on the German market have fallen sharply and will stagnate further when more German slaughterhouses have to close their doors.
Chanti Oussoren
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