The egg business in Shropshire that was forced to cull 1.4 million hens earlier this year following an outbreak of avian influenza is to close its packing centre permanently.
Oakland Farm Eggs will close its packing centre at Wem in Shropshire, while continuing to operate its second packing site at Rubcon.
The site is currently under disease control restrictions and is being disinfected.
A farming source told PB: “The Oaklands site has been at the heart of the family’s operation since 1972 when it started production with its first shed. As I’m sure you will appreciate this has been a challenging time for the family and some difficult decisions must be made for the long-term future of the business.
“As a result of these discussions, the family have reluctantly taken a decision to close the Wen packing site permanently.”
The Griffiths family is in discussions about the future of the site in general. The earliest option to bring birds back on to the site would be in six months. The family is reviewing several options as it looks for an alternative site near to Oaklands.