AVARA FOODS has proposed the closure of its Abergavenny site in the Autumn, putting up to 400 roles at risk of redundancy.

The processing facility was part of the acquisition of Cranberry Foods by Facccenda Foods in 2012 and is a ‘cut and pack’ operation predominantly preparing turkey products.

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A spokesperson for Avara confirmed it would continue to produce turkey as a company, though acknowledged there was reduced demand in the retail market.

A statement announcing the closure said Avara had started “to reengineer its turkey business to operate a more efficient operational footprint focused on fewer, better-invested facilities”.

It added: “Over the past six months, the company has looked in depth at a range of options to enable its wider business to compete effectively in the market in the future.

Proposal to close

“These included different potential uses for the Abergavenny site.

“Regretfully, this process identified that volumes could be processed more efficiently in other operations and with lower capital investment.

“This has resulted in the proposal to close the Abergavenny site.

“This difficult decision has not been taken lightly and in no way reflects on the hard-working colleagues.

“In the coming days, Avara will begin a collective consultation process with the individuals that are affected by this proposal.

“The nature of this consultation means that no final decisions have been made, and there will be no speculation as to how the process will conclude.”