KEY POINTS:
The fate of staff at the PPCS sheep processing facility at Oringi will become clearer at a workers' meeting today to discuss the future of the plant.
Chief executive Keith Cooper said the meeting would examine the options for the plant, near Dannevirke.
"Everything's an option," he said.
Asked if the possibilities included shutting the plant, Cooper said the choices could include selling it, converting it to a milk-powder factory, or expanding it.
PPCS employs 10 permanent staff at the plant, plus seasonal workers. The Dunedin-based co-operative would also begin a series of nationwide supplier meetings tomorrow.
"The key point of the meetings is the launch of the right-size strategy, and where we're taking our shareholders' business," Cooper said.
PPCS posted a net loss for the year ending in August of $40.3 million and announced a restructuring that would adjust its processing capacity to better match the supply of livestock.
In November the company confirmed the closure of a venison processing plant at Te Kauwhata and the Balclutha-based Windward lambskin manufacturing operations.
A prospective industry mega-merger including five companies, proposed by Southland-based processor Alliance Group, failed in April as the two co-operatives could not reach agreement.
"There were two points of view and we didn't agree, and some other parties felt disaffected. But there's no animosity that I'm aware of," Cooper said.
Alliance said it regretted the damage done by PPCS to the concept and to the industry's credibility, and the breach of goodwill with other players.
