For years, chicken processing plants from the USA to Poland to Nigeria to India have suffered labour issues. Now one US chicken and pork processing giant is hoping robotics and automation will change this.

Even before Covid, in the USA many chicken plants experienced annually over 100 percent staff turnover. Meat processing plants are some of the most dangerous plants to work in and during the heights of Covid, proved to be some of the deadliest.

In addition, before the Trump presidency, it was estimated that around 50 percent or more of all processing plant workers were undocumented. With tighter border controls in place, this pool of labour has disappeared to some degree.

While parts of meat, poultry and fish processing plants have become automated, there is still much depended on human labour. However, Tyson Foods, of the four world largest processing companies, is going to invest $1.3 billion over the next three years to further automate its plants, according to Modern Farmer, which quoted Reuters.

It reported that Tyson expects to “reduce labour costs” and boost production thanks to automation, with total savings amounting to about $450 million by 2024. The automation will affect even typically human-run jobs like deboning chicken. Tyson also said that it expects labour savings through 2024 will be “equal to more than 2,000 jobs.”