Tyson Foods Inc., the world's biggest meat processor, plans to cut 770 jobs after closing a beef-slaughter plant in Boise, Idaho, and scaling back processing at its Pasco, Wash., facility, partly because of high fuel expenses.
Springdale, Ark.-based Tyson said Thursday in a statement that it is "consolidating its beef plants in the Pacific Northwest as part of a comprehensive plan to operate its fresh-meats business more efficiently." High gasoline prices made shipping too costly to send beef carcasses to Washington for processing from the Idaho plant, spokesman Gary Mickelson said.
Beef-cattle slaughter capacity will be cut by 1,600 cattle a day, or 470,000 head of cattle a year, the company said. The restructuring will eliminate all 270 jobs in Boise and 500 positions at Pasco, the company said. Employees will be offered cash incentives to move to Midwest plants, Tyson said.