Chicago - A snowstorm on the last day of winter slowed operations at several southern Kansas beef plants as heavy snow limited livestock shipments and kept some meat cutters from getting to work, company officials said.
IBP Inc plants at Finney County and Emporia Kan. were expected to run at reduced levels because of the snowstorm, said Gary Mickelson, company spokesman.
"To what degree they'll be slowed down is unknown. Getting the livestock to the plants is creating degrees of challenge," Mickelson said.
Excel Corp's beef plant in Dodge City, Kan., was expected to operate at a slight reduction, said Mark Klein, company spokesman.
"As the weather moves out, that will determine whether they will be able to get additional livestock for tomorrow, but it doesn't look like that will be a big factor at this point," Klein said.
Excel is a unit of Cargill Inc.
National Beef's plants in Liberal and Dodge City Kan., were operating after a late start, a source at National said. National is co-owned by Farmland Industries and U.S. Premium Beef.
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