McCain to close vegetable processing plant
McCain’s decision to close its vegetable processing plant in Tasmania with the loss of 115 jobs has been greeted with dismay.
The company has announced that its Smithton plant will close in November 2010 after a decision to switch its supply and production to New Zealand. But McCain’s potato processing facility in the town will remain open.
The notice is the second setback to the food processing industry on he island after National Foods confirmed it would shutter its Berri juice plant.
David Llewellyn, Tasmanian Minister for Primary Industries and Water, said it was a “devastating blow”.
The Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association (TFGA) said it was appalled and that the decision would not just affect the plant workers but also the 100 growers on the island that supply vegetable to the facility.
