(Tama)– Talks are under way about reopening a beef packing plant in Tama that was closed more than a year ago.
Iowa Quality Beef Supply Cooperative and a Kansas packing company are discussing the possibility of forming a new company that would reopen the plant.
Co-op Chairman John Greig of Estherville says a representative with Elkhorn Valley Packing Company spoke to co-op members at their annual meeting in Ames Thursday.
Greig says they agreed to continue discussions and should know something in about a month.
The co-op shut down its Tama plant in August, 2004, the victim of poor cattle market conditions and a mad cow disease scare.
About 500 jobs were lost, and the co-op lost a market for their cattle. Since then, the co-op lost a market for their cattle. Since then, the co-op has been seeking a partner to run the Tama plant while its 900 members supply the cattle.
(Story from the Associated Press.).
