Cargill High River Plant Reopens

Cargill High River Plant Reopens

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Cargill’s High River beef processing plant is to resume slaughter operations Wednesday.

The facility didn’t experience any flood damage, but was unable to operate due to a lack of water capacity tied to the town’s treatment plant. The plant will treat the water coming into the plant on site to ensure it is usable.

Some have raised concern over the plant shutting down for an extended period of time, especially it being one of the largest slaughter plants in Western Canada, processing 40 per cent of the head of cattle from the west.

The Canadian Cattlemen’s said that the short-term closer hasn’t affected the industry. Cargill ramped up its production in Guelph, Ont. and other plants last week to make up for the High River closer.

High River plant employs amount to 2,000 people, many of them directly affected by the flood. Cargill recently announced a $250,000 donation towards the relief efforts with additional funds through an internal employee corporate matching fund.