Timaru meatworks shutdown: Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson concerned about proposed closure

By RNZ Minister for Rural Communities Mark Patterson says a proposal to close the Alliance Group’s Smithfield meatworks is “pretty foreboding” for Timaru and the surrounding districts, given Smithfield is a significant employer with a long history in the area. “It’s really concerning, it’s a wake-up call, we as a Government have got to take this seriously,” Patterson said. The minister said it was well known within the industry that there was surplus processing capacity in the industry, so the announcement was not a complete surprise.

“There’s a million less lambs out there this year, it’s been coming in some regards, it is just where it was going to happen and it looks like the poor people of Timaru and the workers at Smithfield are the ones that have copped it.”.