The Farmer John meat packing plant located in Vernon, California will be closing its plant due to the rising business expenses in California. The plant had previously been the subject of animal rights protests over the accused treatment of its pigs. The company plans to close by early 2023.
When asked about the closure, Smithfield Foods corporate affairs VP Jim Monroe stated, “We look at our costs on a per hog, per head basis, and the cost to process hogs in our Vernon facility, I can’t give you a precise figure but it is exorbitantly higher than the cost to process those hogs in other facilities where we operate.”
The Vernon location employs about 2,000 people. The company is planning to offer “relocation options” and “transition assistance” for employees who wish to move to the company’s other facilities and farms.
Smithfield’s Chief Operating Officer said, “We are grateful to our team members in the Western region for their dedication and invaluable contributions to our mission. We are committed to providing financial and other transition assistance to employees impacted by this difficult decision.”
The company hopes another operator takes over for Farmer John.
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