Swift Closes Idaho Plant

Reopening the Canadian border didn’t provide the needed relief for the Swift packing plant in Nampa, Idaho.  The company Aug. 5 announced that it was closing the plant effective immediately.  The plant processed animals over 30 months of age. Live cattle imports from Canada are restricted to cattle under 30 months of age.

The company said that a combination of market conditions and its inability to secure enough cattle to support continued operations forced the decision.  A continuing drought in the Northwest over the past few years made it even more difficult to access cattle, especially once the Canadian border was closed due to BSE in 2003.

The Nampa plant, which had been closed for two weeks prior to the Aug. 5 announcement due to these same factors, had declined in size to 408 employees from 560 employees in May 2003 when the U.S. border was closed.  With access to the older cattle supply from Canada cut off, the plant was gradually forced to reduce operating hours and staffing over the past two years.

Industry observers said throughout the prolonged border issue that the continued closure threatened U.S. packers, especially those in the Northwest.