Reports earlier this week out of Dodge City, Kan., described nonstop pelting rain that measured four inches in a short period; the accumulated water became too much for the roof system at The Cargill meat processing plant, causing part of the low-slope roof to collapse and halting production.
No one was injured and Cargill said it is working with structural engineers to stabilize the roof and implement contingency plans to resume operations. The company added that the processed beef in its coolers and distribution centers was unharmed and will be shipped to customers this week.
Industry news site FoodMarket reported on Monday that Cargill has indefinitely shuttered operations at the beef processing facility, which can process roughly 5,000 to 6,000 head of cattle per day.
The collapse on July 1 halted all production, and according to industry sources who spoke with FoodMarket, the plant might be down for the entirety of the week or longer, depending in part on how quickly repairs can get underway.