Silver Fern Farms moves stock after meat plant fire

Silver Fern Farms moves stock after meat plant fire ; Silver Fern Farms has been sending stock to other plants after its Te Aroha beef processing plant near Hamilton was badly damaged in a fire on Friday night.

Chief executive Keith Cooper says the plant processes about 100,000 beef a year and the fire is causing serious disruption to the company's operations. He says the company is having to send stock to Silver Fern Farms' other North Island beef plants in Dargaville, Hawera and Hastings.

Mr Cooper says the slaughter board and boning room were severely damaged, but much of the rest of the facility was largely unaffected.

There will be no processing at the plant for quite some time, he says, because the core part of the plant will need to be rebuilt.

Mr Cooper is to meet workers at 11am on Monday to outline the plant situation and look at short-term and long term options for them.

Mr Cooper says in the short term Silver Fern Farms will step up capacity at the other three beef plants.

He says the Te Aroha plant employs 350 staff and there were no people or livestock hurt in the blaze, nor any environmental damage.

Mr Cooper says Silver Fern Farms is confident that the fire will not hurt the company's profitability or turnover as the site was fully insured. For the latest updates PRESS CTR + D or visit Stock Market news Today

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