Feds invest $7.8 million for worker safety at prairie meat plants
WINNIPEG, MAN. — Producers affected by the temporary closure of Olymel Pork Plant near Red Deer, will be getting some help from the federal government.
The plant was closed, due to a COVID outbreak, more than two weeks ago, effectively creating major issues for pork farmers. The closure of one of the largest hog slaughter facilities in the country, initially affected 343 employees, and is now responsible for three deaths.
Darcy Fitzgerald, executive director of Alberta Pork, says producers in the province have been shipping about 48,000 hogs per week to Olymel.
As well, Mark Ferguson, manager of SaskPork, says 800,000 Saskatchewan market hogs are shipped to the Olymel plant each year.