Amidst losses reported in their third quarter, protein processing giant Tyson Foods will shut down four more poultry plants.
Four plants in North Little Rock, Arkansas; Corydon, Indiana; and Dexter and Noel, Missouri are expected to cease operations within the first half of fiscal 2024, with related charges expected to cost the company $300 million to $400 million.
The plant closures will account for 3,000 jobs lost within their local communities in America’s heartland by the end of 2023 or in early 2024.
The four facilities account for about 10 percent of the company’s poultry processing capacity. According to Reuters, the facility located in Noel, Mo. employs about 1,500 workers in a city whose population is about 2,100 people.
Aside from workers affected, 29 local poultry farms in Dexter, Mo. will be affected by the closure.
The company accounted for the closures to reduce costs and improve capacity utilization.
Although Tyson says that they will help relocate workers and provide opportunities within the company, relocation is always a difficult decision for employees, and the closures will no doubt heavily impact those who live within the communities where closures are set to occur.
Tyson has already closed two chicken plants in Arkansas and Virginia, accounting for another 1,700 lost jobs this year and laying off corporate employees.
In their third-quarter report, Tyson Foods reported that sales were down 3 percent from a year prior. In another report, the company said they’d received a net loss of $417 million for the quarter, compared to $750 million profit for the same period a year ago.
Following earning calls earlier this week, Tyson’s shares dropped over 5 percent on Monday.
»Related: Tyson Foods set to lay off hundreds of workers in two states
