Tyson Foods plans to spend $1.3 billion to automate meat plants
CHICAGO, Dec 9 (Reuters) – Tyson Foods Inc plans to spend more than $1.3 billion to increase automation in meat plants over the next three years, Chief Executive Donnie King said on Thursday, as a U.S. labour shortage has limited production while demand is booming.
Meat processors have been unable to find enough workers for the past two years due to the tight labour market and health concerns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company will increasingly use machines, instead of people, to debone chicken, one of its most labour-intensive jobs and a position with high turnover, said David Bray, group president of Tyson’s poultry division. A capital investment of $500 million in the area through fiscal year 2024 will generate labour savings equal to more than 2,000 jobs, he said.
Profitability in Tyson’s chicken unit has declined partly due to the labour shortage and because processing plants are operating below full capacity, Bray said.
“We are not servicing our customers to the degree that they expect us to,” Bray said.
Reuters
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