Hurricane Florence prompts idling of poultry plants

At least five poultry companies are assessing damages to their facilities in the Carolinas due to Hurricane Florence.

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DiscoDancer, BigStock.com
DiscoDancer, BigStock.com

At least five poultry companies are assessing damages to their facilities in the Carolinas due to Hurricane Florence.

In many cases, plants were taken off line as precautionary measures, while some have been affected by power outages.

Butterball

North Carolina-based Butterball, the largest turkey company in the United States, in a statement said it had suspended opererations at all North Carolina plants until the storm passes.

“Many of our North Carolina-based processing plants, hatcheries and feed mills have been impacted by the storm, and we continue to see flooding and power outages throughout the region,” the company stated. “This has impacted much of our North Carolina operations.”

Anticipating the arrival of the storm, Butterball last week began preparations for the hurricane, and enacted its detailed hurricane preparedness checklist to ensure operations run as smoothly as possible.

The company has set up multiple lines of communication for its employees to assess storm information and communicate their safety and status.

As storm recovery begins, Butterball will be working with employees in the affected region to provide support. It is also working with other relief organizations and emergency shelters to provide food for those in need and for the first responders working to keep the communities safe.

Perdue Farms

Perdue Farms on September 14 suspended operations at its poultry plants in Lewiston and Rockingham, North Carolina, and Dillon, South Carolina.

However, operations resumed in Lewiston on the following day, Perdue Farms spokesperson Joe Forsthoffer said in a telephone interview.

“We escaped the worst of the weather there,” he said.

“It just was not safe to ask people to travel today,” he said in reference to keeping operations idle at the facilities in Dillon and Rockingham.

All feed mills are in good shape, Forsthoffer said, as are all hatcheries, although he said some facilities had to operate on generators.

No meaningful damages were reported at any Perdue-owned facilities, he said. As of September 17, Forsthoffer said any damages done to properties belonging to contract growers were “minimal.”

House of Raeford Farms

House of Raeford Farms spokesman Dave Witter said in an email that two of its plants in North Carolina – one in Rose Hill and the other in Teachey – are down because there is no electricity.

The Teachey plant was recently rebuilt after it was destroyed by a fire in 2017. According to Witter, the plant was in “start-up mode” during the time of the storm.

He said it was uncertain when either facility would be able to restart.

The company is also in the process of assessing damages to contract farms.

Sanderson Farms

In a statement issued on September 15, Sanderson Farms CEO Joe F. Sanderson Jr., reported that the company had not received any reports of employee injuries or fatalities due to the storm.

The company is presently in the process of assessing its North Carolina facilities. Those included poultry complex in Kinston, as well as its plant and hatchery in St. Pauls, and feed mill in Lumberton. Early assessments indicated no significant damage at any of those facilities.

“However, given the amount of rain those areas continue to receive, our assessment will continue. … Our live inventory and the assets of our independent poultry producers in the region comprise a significant portion of our operations. Given the logistical difficulties caused by flooding and impassable roads, assessments of damage to those facilities will also continue,” Sanderson said.

Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods, in a statement, said its poultry plant in Monroe, North Carolina is not operating, although other poultry and prepared food plants in the Carolinas and Virginia have power and are currently operating.

The company also revealed that some farms in the Monroe and Fayetteville areas are operating on backup generator power, and Tyson is working with those farmers to ensure they have fuel until power is restored.

Additionally, Tyson Foods’ Meals that Matter disaster relief teams are on standby and are prepared to deploy and serve meals to victims, volunteers and first responders.

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