China poultry plant fire turns deadly

Jun 03, 2013

China poultry plant fire turns deadly

A fire broke out at a poultry plant in northeastern China on Monday, which trapped workers inside killing at least 119 people, official’s report the death toll is expected to rise. Several others were also injured in the blaze and are being treated in hospital. Some reports say that a fire broke out after a shift began around 6a.m.

The plant was established in 2009, produces roughly 67,000 tons of processed chicken a year and employs about 1,200 people. The plant is located about 800 kilometers away from China’s capital, Beijing.

Though it's unlikely to have an impact on China's chicken supply, the accident came as chicken producers were seeing sales recover after an outbreak of a deadly new strain of bird flu, H7N9, briefly scared the public in April and early May.

The fire is unlikely to have an impact on China’s chicken supply, as the country begins to recover from the outbreak of a new strain of bird flu (H7N9) that occurred in April and early May.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.