US Largest Meat Processor Tyson Foods Resumes Operations at Some Plants

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Tyson Foods will resume operations at its pork processing plant, which was shut down last month, starting from the 7th (local time).

According to the AP News on the 5th (local time), Tyson Foods, the largest meat processing company in the U.S., will restart its Waterloo plant in Iowa from the 7th. This plant reported a total of 444 confirmed COVID-19 cases and was temporarily closed on the 22nd of last month to prevent the spread of the virus.

Tyson Foods stated that all returning employees have undergone COVID-19 testing. Employees who tested positive remain on sick leave. The company added that it has increased compensation for employees to about 90% of their salary until June 30.

The Waterloo plant in Iowa is Tyson Foods' largest pork processing facility, capable of processing 19,500 pigs per day. According to the U.S. Pork Association, this accounts for 3.9% of the total pork processing capacity in the United States.

Meanwhile, Tyson Foods has also temporarily closed its pork plant in Logansport, Indiana, and its beef plant in Pasco, Washington, in addition to the Waterloo plant in Iowa. Smithfield Foods and JBS, two major U.S. meat processing companies, have also closed some of their processing plants. The U.S. International Union of Food Workers reported that these closures have reduced the supply of beef and pork in the U.S. market by 25%.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.