US poultry producer Foster Farms plans to stop fresh turkey processing at its Turlock facility in California in May.

The company said it was responding to "changes in market demand".

Earlier this week, US agri-food giant Cargill said it would close a turkey-processing plant in Arkansas in August.

Affected employees at Foster Farms' Turlock site will have the option to transfer to available positions the company has in California's Central Valley.

The end to fresh turkey processing, scheduled for 9 May, will not affect the company's fully cooked poultry facility in Turlock.

In March last year, Foster Farms appointed Jayson Penn as CEO. He succeeded former Tyson Foods’ executive Donnie Smith, who was named CEO of Foster Farms when Atlas Holdings acquired the business from the Foster family owners in 2022.

Foster Farms was acquired by private-equity firm Atlas Holdings in June 2022.

Commenting on the changes in Turlock, Penn said: “We recognise that this decision impacts the lives of many of our committed team members and does not reflect their efforts."

Headquartered in California’s Central Valley, Foster Farms also operates ranches in the Pacific Northwest and Louisiana.

It produces a range of fresh, pre-marinated, and fully cooked poultry products for retail, food service, and warehouse club customers.