KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tyson Foods, Inc. announced Tuesday plans to build a $320 million poultry complex in eastern Kansas.
The company will build a processing plant, hatchery, and feed mill near Tonganoxie in Leavenworth County, according to a news release from the Kansas Governor’s Office.
The operation will employ approximately 1,600 people and contract with northeast Kansas farmers and ranchers to raise chickens.
The news release says the operation is currently scheduled to begin production in mid-2019. It will produce pre-packaged trays of fresh chicken for retail grocery stores nationwide.
Some Tonganoxie residents who are against the Tyson Foods plant gathered outside the building where the announcement was made.
The protesters are concerned that the jobs will be low-paying jobs. They are also opposed to animal cruelty and worried about the smell from the processing plant.
Their major complaint is about what they say is secrecy surrounding the Tyson announcement. Some people didn't find out about it until two days before the announcement.
Tana Walker, a Tonganoxie resident, demonstrated at the event.
"We were never given any information about this because our state commissioners and our county commissioners signed non-disclosure agreements. How is that fair? How is that good public policy," said Walker.
Tonganoxie council member Curtis Oroke told demonstrators publicly that he did sign a non-disclosure agreement, but he added that the city was also left in the dark on some of the "stuff" too.
The plant will be capable of processing 1.25 million birds per week, according to the news release.
The payroll and payments to farmers from the operation, along with its purchase of grains and utilities, is expected to generate an annual economic benefit to the state of Kansas of $150 million.
Tyson Foods President and CEO Tom Hayes told 41 Action News that Tyson Foods has already purchased about 300 acres south of Tonganoxie and plans to break ground sometime this fall. Hayes said the next step in the process is to get permits to build. The company will work with outside contractors to build the plant, hatchery, feed mill, and related infrastructure.
Farmers and ranchers who are interested in raising chickens for the new poultry complex are asked to go to www.growwithtyson.com/growwithtyson.com for more information.
The news release stated that Tyson Foods currently operates facilities in six Kansas communities.
