Smithfield Foods to Reopen Sioux Falls Pork Processing Plant
South Dakota facility will reopen in phases starting May 7, had been closed since April 12.
Smithfield Foods will resume pork processing operations in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, after being shut down since April 12. Smithfield receiving positive confirmation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) that the company is in full compliance with all CDC and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidance.
The company will take a phased approach to resuming its operations. The harvest floor will reopen on May 11, 2020 and the company anticipates that the facility will be fully operational by late May. Testing, which is being administered by the State of South Dakota, is available to all Smithfield employees prior to returning to work. To date, over 2,000 employees have been tested. More tests will be conducted in the coming weeks as the company slowly ramps up its operations.