Their association conducted a survey which revealed that a third said they lack applicants, 15 per cent said applicants lacked specific skills or training, 21 per cent lacked motivation and 12 per cent lacked relevant experience.
They said lack of public transportation is an issue and that their biggest challenge is hiring local people.
The jobs that are most difficult positions to fill are meat cutter, general labourers, kill floor worker, sausage maker and smokehouse operators.
The annual survey indicated that shortages are greater now than before the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago.
