We believe there's evidence that a few unionized inspectors are expressing support for the UFCW local 401 by staying away from the plant to keep it from operating.

There is no affect to area pork producers in the slightest way. The demand for pork from local farmers is still as high as ever.

We question whether the unionized inspectors' alleged safety concerns are genuine,

We certainly understand there will be tension in the plant, especially given some of the verbal abuse and threats made by picketers during the strike, ... However, we're going to do our best to peacefully bring this workforce back together so we can resume normal operations.

We're hopeful this unfortunate matter can be quickly resolved so we can continue rebuilding our export business in Japan. Our shipments to Japan have been steady since the market reopened. However, as expected, volumes have been limited because of Japan's import restrictions.

The plant is not currently operating.