CHICAGO, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Tyson Foods ( TSN ) will

permanently close a meat plant in Emporia, Kansas, that employs

more than 800 people, according to a letter the company sent to

the state on Monday.

The job cuts are the latest blows to America's heartland

from the biggest U.S. meat company by sales. Tyson has also

closed six U.S. chicken plants since the start of 2023 and an

Iowa pork plant, laying off thousands of workers.

Tyson faces financial pressure as the nation's cattle herd

has dwindled to its smallest size in decades, raising costs for

the animals the company processes into beef. The meatpacker's

chicken business previously suffered after executives misjudged

consumer demand.

The company will shut the Emporia plant around Feb. 14,

terminating 804 employees, and another five employees at a lab

will lose their jobs on Jan. 31, according to a letter it sent

to the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The plant has produced products such as seasoned and

marinated meats and ground beef, according to Tyson's website.

Workers stopped slaughtering cattle there in 2008 due to tight

supplies.

The company, which reaped big profits as meat prices soared

during the COVID-19 pandemic, did not immediately respond to

requests for comment. Its letter said the closures are part of a

strategy to operate more efficiently.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek)