Global commodities trader Cargill Inc will close a Springdale, Arkansas, turkey processing plant with 1,100 workers on 1 August and shift much of the production to processing facilities in Missouri and Virginia, the company said.
The closure comes as privately held Cargill is cutting its global workforce by 5% amid a sharp drop in earnings in its meat and grain and oilseed businesses.
Thousands of US workers for other poultry companies have also lost their jobs over the last two years due to plant closures.
'It is the right move to make for the future of our turkey business. Turkey remains an essential part of Cargill's protein portfolio,' the company said in an emailed statement.
Turkey Plant
The Springdale plant produces fresh and frozen whole turkeys, bone-in turkey breasts and case-ready turkey products, a Cargill spokesperson said.
'We will honour contractual obligations to growers and continue to process turkey and other proteins at more than 40 primary, case-ready and value-added protein facilities in the United States and Canada,' the company said.
US chicken producer Perdue Farms has said it will shut a Tennessee facility in March, eliminating jobs for 433 employees. Tyson Foods has shuttered six chicken plants with thousands of workers since 2023.
In April 2024, Cargill announced a partnership with Voyage Foods to scale up the production of alternatives to cocoa-based products and spreads that are free from nut and dairy allergens.
It will serve as the exclusive B2B global distributor for Voyage Foods, expanding its traditional chocolate portfolio to offer sustainable alternatives for cocoa-based products.
