00:00Meat processor JBS Foods Australia, which owns the Seven Point Pork Abattoir at Port Wakefield about an hour north of Adelaide, has announced it will be ceasing its operations indefinitely in January next year.
00:15The company says one of its key customers, Coles, has reduced the number of pigs shipped for processing, saying that means the situation at Port Wakefield is no longer viable, with more than 200 workers now set to lose their jobs.
00:29Our spokesperson for Coles has confirmed the supermarket giant is shifting some pork processing operations to other states, as customer demand continues to grow across Australia.
00:39And they say South Australia still remains Coles' biggest state supplier of pork.
00:44JBS has said it recognises the impact and concerns its decision to close will have on its workforce, their families and the local community.
00:54About 270 jobs will be lost and that number includes 160 people who live in the local council area.
01:02The Mayor of Port Wakefield, Rodney Reid, has said that this closure will have a ripple effect throughout the region's economy and says he's really concerned about local businesses and enrolment dropping at nearby schools.
01:14Meanwhile, the federal member for Grey, Tom Venning, has described this as a major blow for the region.
01:19Mr Venning says he's in crisis talks to try to prevent the imminent closure of the abattoir and says he's going to meet with JBS officials to try to determine exactly what factors have led to this decision.
