Goldsboro Milling Company — a subsidiary of Maxwell Foods — which, earlier this decade, was recognized as one of the biggest swine producers in the United States, is ending its hog operation.
The news was confirmed by the company Friday afternoon after several employees and farmers contacted the New Old North earlier this week, saying they had been told layoffs would begin next month and the company’s hog division would be completely shuttered by June 2021.
In a statement, the company confirmed that operations would permanently halt in 2021, and said that low prices being paid for its product, “together with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” have made their current and projected financial losses “unsustainable for the company to continuing operating.”
The North Carolina Pork Council also weighed in on the decision.
“We are deeply saddened that the persistent and untenable economic conditions mean that Maxwell Foods has reached the difficult decision to cease hog production operations by the middle of 2021,” a statement from the council read. “Maxwell Foods and its network of family farmers have been an important and vital part of Eastern North Carolina communities and their economic stability.”
Many of the employees who reached out to the New Old North said they had been with the company for two decades or more and were concerned about how they would now make ends meet.
But the Pork Council said it remains “optimistic” that the “phased transition” would allow for employees to find other job opportunities — adding that “at the same time, sustainable options will be found for the approximately 150 contract farms in the Maxwell Foods system.”
They’re saying they aren’t getting enough money for their product. Yet prices at the stores are going up. Whose getting that extra money?
Smithfield food witch is owned by China rules the market. Think about it
Why does Smithfield always get blamed for everything ? I am an employee of Smithfield and proud to be. We run our business the best we know how and struggle just like you do. Who do you think feeds you 3 times a day ? Thank a hog farmer, plant worker,and all the administrative assistants! I sure don’t like seeing this happen to my community and hope they have a plan for their employees. Just have to wait and see, maybe Smithfield and Goldsboro Milling can work together to transfer some of the employees to our plants , offices etc.? I remain optimistic for them.
Do some research into how China bought Pharmaceutical companies and lowered their prices to below cost to run US companies out of business then raised their prices by 600 percent to regain lost monies AND NOW run ALL the medications in our country!
We have to STOP CHINA!!!
The government to help the sorry
For Goldsboro Milling its matter of not having their own Processing plant to kill pigs and market the meat. GMC is at the mercy of Smithfield when it comes to slaughtering their pigs and if Smithfield is at capacity then there is no where to send the pigs.
Why would Goldsboro Milling not start a procession plant and compete with Smithfield
Smithfield has always required contracts effectively preventing producers like Maxwell Foods from competing with them.
Tariffs
The packing plants
They need to be doing something fir the employees that have been faithful to them for many years
As a small pork producer I hope that production goes away we have too much production now, that’s what gave the packer the upper hand in the first place! The efficient or politically connected will survive.
In capitalism the efficient are suppose to thrive as a small pork producer I wondered how and why they ever got into the business and survived this long without growing their own feed and feeding their own sows every weekend. I gues you can’t hire all aspects of the business done and be profitable. Hopefully that production goes away otherwise with too many hogs the rest will suffer too.