Source: Rita Jane Gabbett, MEATINGPLACE, 5/1/14
 

As many as 30 chicken farms in Mississippi were damaged by a massive tornado yesterday, with one Tyson Foods contract grower losing most of its 220,000 birds, according to the Associated Press.

Yesterday’s tornado was the latest in a week of tornadoes that struck the Midwest and the South. At least 34 people have been killed, and more than 2,000 houses and 100 commercial properties have been damaged from the storms, according Reuters.  

"Our hearts go out to the family farmers who were affected by the storms this week," Tyson Foods spokesman Worth Sparkman told Meatingplace. "In Mississippi, some farmers’ poultry houses were destroyed. We’re helping them with the cleanup efforts and hope they can rebuild soon."

Tyson Foods has also deployed cook teams from Magee and Carthage, Miss., and Shelbyville, Tenn., to help feed victims and relief workers. Tyson products have also been sent to Baxter Springs, Kan.

Relief efforts also continue in central Arkansas, where Tyson employees have served more than 16,500 meals since Monday.

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