10:11 AM EST, 12/04/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with attribution to the company in the first paragraph, adds the company's statement in the second paragraph, and the latest stock movement in the sixth paragraph.)

Tyson Foods ( TSN ) is closing a meat processing plant in Kansas, a company spokesperson confirmed to MT Newswires in an emailed statement Wednesday.

"After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to close our beef and pork non-harvest processing facility in Emporia, Kansas to increase the efficiency of our operations," the spokesperson said.

The company plans to slash 809 jobs in the process, Bloomberg News reported Monday, citing a letter by the company to the Kansas Department of Commerce.

The suspension of operations in Emporia is expected to be complete by Feb. 14 and activities at its laboratory in the same town also will be halted, according to the report.

This comes after a series of plant shutdowns since last year as the company's beef operation in the US faces a severe shortage of cattle, Bloomberg said.

Shares of the company were down 1.6% in early Wednesday trading.

Price: 63.14, Change: -1.06, Percent Change: -1.64