California Attorney General Rob Bonta entered into a settlement with Western Valley Meat Company, an affiliate of Central Valley Meat, to resolve concerns with the company’s plan to purchase Cargill’s processing plant in Fresno, CA.
Under the settlement, Western Valley Meat must keep the plant operating for at least one year and retain at least 700 workers during that time period.
“The Central Valley has fed California and the U.S. for decades, and today I am proud to have secured the continued operation of an important processing plant and protection of 700 jobs for at least 12 months,” Bonta said in a statement.
Western Valley Meat announced in spring 2024 that it would acquire the plant, raising competition concerns and the risk that the plant would be completely shut down.
