US swine farm closures

A story that ranked at No 1 in our Top 10 most popular articles​​ last month was the piece about Smithfield Foods closing 35 swine farm sites in Missouri, US with 92 employees set to lose their jobs.

It was a move that the market was already aware of, with a spokesperson for Smithfield Foods telling us: "The decision to close these sow farms was made in May and it was in response to challenging market conditions. This decision was widely reported after we notified our employees."

All impacted employees were receiving transition assistance, including the option to move into other positions with the company, said the representative.

Some 35 swine farm sites are set to cease operation including 13 sites in Newtown, Missouri; 12 in Lucerne, Missouri; and 10 in Princeton, Missouri.

The parent company of Smithfield, the world’s largest pork processor, is Hong Kong's WH Group.

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