IARN — A fire that broke out Sunday night on the roof the JBS Meat Packing Plant in Grand Island, Nebraska had one cattle group and many producers concerned about what damage had occurred and how long the plant would be shut down.
JBS Officials tweeted Monday afternoon they would reopen Tuesday. Nebraska Cattlemen Association Executive Vice President Pete McClymont says they’re glad the damage wasn’t any worse than it could have been.
“It did not do significant damage to internal structure including electrical,” said McClymont. “It did do damage to a boiler. Obviously, a packing plant needs water and hot water to operate. That’s important to the plant, but every indication we’ve got in our conversations is that JBS is in good shape.”
He says the Grand Island JBS plant is an important one for both Nebraska and U.S. cattle producers.
“A plant that harvests 6,000 head,” said McClymont. “That’s a big number. The quicker they get back online is good for everybody. It’s in their best interest to get back online because the money they are making is considerable. They want it up and running as much as producers do. That’s what we know at this point in time.”
McClymont says when JBS took over that facility they made significant upgrades to the plant that’s made it very efficient and effective.
“They have made some significant upgrades to that plant to their receiving pens, which allows them to hold more and to put investment back into the plant that really hadn’t been done for going on four decades,” said McClymont. “It’s going to allow the harvest floor to operate at a higher level and a more efficient level. That plant is obviously very important right now and especially to Nebraska producers.”
McClymont says when they heard of the fire on Monday morning they became immediately concerned especially since the Holcomb, Kansas Tyson plant fire happened just two years ago and shut that facility down for five months.
(Story courtesy of NAFB)
Story courtesy of the Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network.
