Smithfield halts on-site slaughter in Virginia

Smithfield, the world's largest pork processor, will stop slaughtering pigs at its Virginia site. This is the location where the meat concern once started. 

Smithfield, owned by the Chinese WH Group, started slaughtering pigs at its Virginia site 85 years ago. In 2019, the Virginia slaughterhouse was converted to allow more pig carcasses to be shipped to China, and was expanded last year. The company will now spend $5 million to halt the slaughter process and upgrade the site for more bacon production, among other things.

The slaughter process is stopped because the daily slaughter capacity is not fully utilized. In total, approximately 10.000 pigs can be slaughtered. Due to the decline in the pig population along the east coast, a maximum of 7.500 pigs are now slaughtered per day. Slaughter will be moved to a number of other Smithfield facilities in the future.

Staff
Some of the slaughterhouse's 1.900 employees will be transferred to another department at the Virginia site. The other staff members will start working at other locations. Smithfield has also recently been in the news, because from its location in North Carolina temporarily no pork to China may be exported because of the quality of a batch of pig skins.

In addition, the company is suing, alleging that Smithfield caused unjustified fears of a meat shortage during the corona crisis. Interest group Food and Water Watch claims that Smithfield deliberately misrepresented the facts to consumers so that more profit could be made. This is based on the record high export levels in the same month in which the meat producer warned of a shortage. At the same time, there was enough meat in the refrigerator to replenish supermarket shelves for months.

Chanti Oussoren

Editor at Boerenbusiness who studies the dairy, pig (meat) and feed markets.

c.oussoren@boerenbusiness. Nl

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