BEAVER, Utah (ABC4) – Residents in Beaver County say they have concerns after Smithfield Foods announced it’s closing a plant in California. Local leaders say that will impact the community here in Utah.
Long-time residents of Beaver say if the Smithfield pig farm closes, it could be an economic catastrophe for the community as the majority of people in the area rely on the farm for employment.
“This impact of taking that out of here, is going to do a lot of damage to a lot of people, cause a lot of problems, so I hate to see it happen but, what do we do?” says Doug Erickson.
The Beaver County Commission unanimously voted to declare a local state of economic emergency on Friday. In a press release, the company stated it plans on decreasing its sow herd in Utah.
“A good buddy that I grew up with he’s already put his two weeks notice in, he’s in charge of a couple of barns down there luckily he has a job lined up in St. George but it’s sad he’s going to be leaving the community,” says Brennen Fails.
According to leaders from the state’s Department of Agriculture and Food, 28 farms are contracted with Smithfield Foods. Locals in Beaver say the pig farm here has been open for nearly three decades.
“It’s going to effect a lot of families that moved into Minersville and Beaver and Milford that work there, so it’s going to hurt Beaver,” says Erickson.
And younger residents in the community worry for the future of their families if this disrupts the local economy.
“Got married last year, and me and my wife expect to raise our children here and I worry we won’t have as good of schools or as good of athletics as we’ve had in the past,” says Fails.
The commission is planning to meet with the governor and Commissioner of Agriculture this week.