PITTSBURG, Texas – Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. announced Monday that it will idle a processing plant in Clinton, Ark. and a further processing plant in Bossier City, La.

The company said that both actions are part of Pilgrim’s effort to operate more efficiently and counteract high feed costs and low chicken prices.

When completed, the idling of the Clinton processing plant will result in an approximate 1.25 percent incremental increase in the company's previously announced production cutback heading into the fall. Meanwhile, value-added items currently produced in Bossier City will be shifted to other Pilgrim's Pride further-processing facilities. Both plants will be kept idle until the industry environment improves.

Pilgrim’s said the move will eliminate about 600 positions. The company will provide transition assistance to employees affected by the idling.

"Over the past six months, Pilgrim's Pride has taken a number of proactive steps to strengthen our competitive position amid a very difficult operating environment," said Clint Rivers, president and CEO. "These steps include the production cutbacks for the second half of fiscal 2008, the closure of a plant in North Carolina and seven distribution centers, and the consolidation of our tray-pack operations in El Dorado, Ark., to six other case-ready sites. Those changes, when combined with today's announcement, will result in the elimination of nearly 2,300 positions.”

Source: Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.