October 2, 2024

Hurricane Helene forces poultry plant closures in Georgia and North Carolina, US

Hurricane Helene has disrupted US food production, leading to the closure of at least two poultry plants in Georgia and North Carolina, US, according to company and agricultural officials, Reuters reported.

The storm, which struck Florida's Big Bend region, left a trail of destruction as it moved through Georgia and the Carolinas. More than 100 deaths across several states have been attributed to the powerful hurricane.

Wayne-Sanderson Farms, the third-largest poultry producer in the US, shut down its processing plant in Moultrie, Georgia, after power was lost due to downed transmission lines, according to company spokesman Frank Singleton. The plant processes 1.3 million chickens each week, and the timeline for resuming operations will depend on when Georgia Power crews can restore electricity. In the meantime, the company is supplying fuel to local farms that have also lost power.

In South Carolina, many poultry operations are currently relying on backup generators, said Eva Moore, spokesperson for the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.

North Carolina, while also impacted by the storm, has seen fewer disruptions. Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork processor, reported that transportation for its hog operations had been strained, but the company did not experience significant interruptions.

However, a poultry plant near Morganton, North Carolina, has been shut down, according to Bob Ford, executive director of the North Carolina Poultry Federation. Despite the closure, Ford noted that the industry has been relatively fortunate, as feed mills are operational, and flooding has not significantly impacted farms.

For chickens near Morganton, Ford added, "they're just going to get fatter" until the processing plant reopens.

-      Reuters