Nebraska Beef Ltd. cuts production, labour force

Tough economic conditions have pushed Nebraska Beef Ltd to reduce production and lay off workers.

Angelo Fili, executive vice president of Greater Omaha Packing Company, said that his company received in a 24-hour span some 60 applications from people looking for work and claiming Nebraska Beef had let them go.

Fili said that it is unprecedented for 60 meat cutters to show up singing the same tune, explaining that Greater Omaha typically receives anywhere from four to 10 applications per day.

Nebraska Beef did not return a phone call seeking comment.

Mike O'Neill, president of O'Neill Packing Co said that in discussions with peers at Nebraska Beef he learned the company is cutting production back to between 1,400 and 1,600 head of cattle per day from 2,000 head per day.

He said that the reduction is ''nothing serious" as it is ''a slow time for packers. Everyone's kind of thinking about that."

Nebraska Beef made headlines this past summer when it recalled 5.3 million pounds of ground beef sold at Kroger-owned retail outlets and later 1.4 million pounds of primals, subprimals and boxed beef linked to nationwide outbreaks of E. coli O157:H7.