Perdue Farms is laying off nearly 300 employees at an Indiana turkey plant as the company adjusts production due to bird flu and a consumer shift toward other meats.
The turkey and poultry processor said the second shift at its Washington, Indiana, facility will be eliminated on Oct. 10, according to a WARN notice.
A Perdue spokesperson noted there is “no impact” to the company’s other Indiana operations, which include a feed mill, grain receiving facility, hatchery and breeder operations.
“Changes in consumer demand, decreasing turkey flocks, and how we produce and supply our products have impacted the Washington operations in recent years, making the change to one production shift necessary to achieve operational efficiencies,” a Perdue spokesperson said in an email.
U.S. turkey production is forecast to fall under 5 billion pounds in 2025, according to the USDA. Last year, America produced 6.6 billion pounds of turkey meat, the lowest in three decades, Bloomberg noted.
Supply has been hit hard by the spread of bird flu. At the same time, demand has been weighed down by inflation and a shift in consumer preferences, with more people starting to choose beef and pork for holidays such as Thanksgiving.
The food space, including meat and poultry processors, has been closing plants to increase efficiencies and bring supply in line with production.
Perdue in January closed a chicken production plant in Tennessee and laid off more than 400 workers, saying it would require “substantial additional investments to maintain operations."
Tyson Foods, the largest U.S. meat company, has closed several facilities during the last three years, affecting a few thousand workers. Meanwhile, Smithfield Foods said in April it is rapidly selling off pigs as the U.S.’ largest pork producer looks to recover losses in hog production and build its presence in packaged meats.
