Rod Nickel, Tom Polansek
(Adds comment from farmer group, Canadian government, Maple Leaf Foods)
WINNIPEG, Manitoba, Feb 19 (Reuters) - Canada’s Olymel LP said on Friday it was shipping pigs to the United States to help clear a backlog of hogs after it had to temporarily close its Red Deer, Alberta, slaughter plant because of a coronavirus outbreak.
Olymel shut the plant on Wednesday and declared force majeure - unforeseeable circumstances that prevent contract fulfilment. Alberta’s health department knows of 426 infections linked to the outbreak, including one death, spokesman Tom McMillan said.
The virus spread fast last spring in Canadian and U.S. meat plants, where people typically work closely together. Cargill Inc temporarily closed a Guelph, Ontario, beef plant in December.