After facing small disruptions due to Hurricane Irma, business has returned to mostly normal for two poultry companies and a poultry industry organization.
Wayne Farms and Sanderson Farms each suspended operations at one poultry plant, but both companies reported no significant problems for its facilities or its growers.
Wayne Farms
Wayne Farms’ poultry processing plant in Dothan, Alabama, did not operate on September 11 as a precaution of potential dangers that could be brought on by Hurricane Irma, but operations returned to normal on the following day.
Company spokesman Frank Singleton said the Dothan plant, which recently underwent an expansion that doubled the plant’s capacity, was temporarily shut down for employee safety purposes, but all other Wayne Farms plants continued to operate.
He also reported that there were no significant storm-related damages to poultry houses or other facilities.
Sanderson Farms
Sanderson Farms’ facilities in Moultrie, Georgia, and Adel, Georgia were spared from Hurricane-related damage, spokeperson Ashley Rea reported.
The company advised employees that it would not run its first and second shifts at the plant in Moutrie on September 11 as a precaution for employee safety. However, operations have since resumed.
Operations at the company’s hatchery and feed mill in Adel were not interrupted.
The company, on its Facebook page, reported on September 11 that it is still communicating with contract farmers in the area, but at the time, was not aware of any major damage.
USPOULTRY office affected by storm
Staff members at the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association (USPOULTRY) reported on September 13 that things have returned to normal at its headquarters in Tucker, Georgia, after losing power around 2:30 p.m. on September 11.
The office was still staffed during the outage, although there were disruptions to the organization’s phones, website and email systems. That included the systems for the International Production & Processing Expo (IPPE).
