JBS USA announced it is closing its beef-packing plant at Souderton, Pennsylvania, leaving 2,300 weekly marketings from Ontario looking for a new home.
There aren’t many in Ontario which is dominated by the Cargill plant in Guelph. Norwich Packers and Ontario Halal Meat Packers of Milton are possibilities for small volumes.
Beef Farmers of Ontario president Jason Leblond of Powassan said the scheduled closure “is concerning for Ontario’s beef sector” but that the organization “will continue working to understand the impacts … and advocate for solutions that maintain strong market access and competitive pricing.”
Food systems analyst Kevin Grier said in an online post that no other states within the region have anywhere near the slaughtering capacity of Pennsylvania.
“While it is easy to see why the U.S. and the western Canadian industry sloughed off the news, it is a concern for Ontario. Ontario cattle feeders might be the only ones in North America that are worried about Souderton.”
Beef packers have been losing money on every animal slaughtered this summer and the Pennsylvania plant Is not the only one that has closed.
