July 24, 2009 (FinancialWire) — Bankrupt Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. (OTC: PGPDQ) said it plans to idle its chicken processing plant in Athens, Alabama, and one of its two plants in Athens, Georgia, within 60 to 75 days.

Production from the Athens, Alabama, plant will be consolidated into two other Pilgrim’s Pride complexes, bringing those facilities to full capacity. A hatchery in Moulton, Alabama, a feed mill in Falkville, Alabama, and other live production operations associated with the Athens plant will continue to operate.

Around 640 employees who work at the Athens, Alabama, processing plant will be affected by the plant idling. Pilgrim’s Pride said it expects to be able to offer positions at other facilities to many of these employees.

Production from the company’s Athens, Georgia, plant will be consolidated at a neighboring plant as well as at several other company complexes in north Georgia, bringing those facilities to full capacity.

The live production operations associated with that plant, including hatcheries and feed mills, will continue to operate. Pilgrim’s Pride said it expects to be able to offer positions to most of the roughly 330 employees at the Georgia location by the time the plant is idled.

Pilgrim’s Pride said that, since production from these two plants will be consolidated into other complexes, the idling of the two facilities will not result in any decrease in the company’s overall production or in any change in product mix. The company said it would consider restarting the two plants in the future should market conditions justify it.

Pittsburg, Texas-based Pilgrim’s Pride employs around 41,000 people and operates chicken processing plants and prepared-foods facilities in 14 states, Puerto Rico and Mexico. The company filed voluntary Chapter 11 petitions on December 1, 2008.

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