Pork plant passes second public hearing

     It was another marathon public forum in Mason City last Thursday as the city council heard both positive and negative comments about entering into a development with Prestage Farms to build a pork processing
facility.
     The development agreement
would require Prestage Foods to create 922 full-time jobs during the first phase of the operation. The bulk of these jobs would come from 530 production associate positions starting at $13.00-13.60 per hour. Additional technician and administrative jobs would range from $14.60 to $31.00 per hour.
     Once the facility is up and running, a second shift would be added, creating an additional 850 jobs.
     With the facility slaughtering 10,000 hogs per day, one of the major concerns about the project is that its presence will initiate the construction of new hog confinements in the area. While Prestage asserts that they will be capable of feeding the facility with existing suppliers, as part of the development agreement they have agreed to refuse to contract with any hog supplier that builds a confinement within 2.5 miles of Mason City or Clear Lake.
     Read the full article in the April 27 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.