(Adds Cargill beef plant shutdown, industry background,
analysts' and economists' comments)
By Theopolis Waters
CHICAGO, Feb 2 (Reuters) - Blizzard conditions in the
Central United States shut down some Cargill and Tyson beef and
pork processing plants in the region, company spokesmen told
Reuters by email on Tuesday.
Tyson Foods Inc (N:TSN) TSN.N , one of the biggest U.S. meat
processors, said three pork processing facilities and one beef
plant were closed.
"Three of our six pork plants are not operating today due to
weather-related road conditions and one other plant will operate
only one shift of production," said Tyson Foods spokesman Gary
Mickelson.
He said the affected pork plants are in Iowa and Nebraska.
Mickelson added that one of the company's beef processing
facilities is not operating and two others are scheduled to run
reduced hours. Those plants are in Nebraska and Kansas, he said.
Cargill Foods CARGIL.UL spokesman Mike Martin said its
beef processing plant in Schuyler, Nebraska, was not running on
Tuesday due to wintry weather, "with adverse road conditions
impacting employee travel safety and livestock transportation."
Smithfield Foods Inc SFII.UL , the world's largest pork
processor and hog producer, said it does not comment on daily
activities.
Industry experts said other meat processors were likely
affected by the storm, which could trim more than 40,000 hogs
and roughly 25,000 cattle from the day's overall industry
slaughter.
They said companies affected by weather disruptions are
expected to make up the downtime later in the week by increasing
shift hours or adding to Saturday's slaughter.
Winds of up to 50 mph whipped up as much as a foot of snow
that fell in hardest-hit sections of Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa,
said meteorologists.
The majority of hogs are raised indoors, so the weather
impact would be more associated with the ability to move pigs to
packing plants, said Iowa State University economist Lee Schulz.
Industry participants have known about the storm for several
days and have planned accordingly, either by adjusting shifts or
delivering pigs ahead of time, he said.
For cattle that are exposed to the elements in feedlots,
cold, wet weather can create muddy conditions that can cause
stress.
"Wind is as big an issue as snow," said Cassandra Fish,
author of industry blog The Beef.
Feedyards will focus on ensuring that cattle are fed and
trying to move snow to keep alleys in feedyards clear. Cattle
will slowly put on pounds with more of their feed intake
directed at keeping warm than gaining weight, she said.
(Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Matthew Lewis)