Australia-Meat plant to close.

AUSTRALIA-MEAT PLANT TO CLOSE DOWN AND BLAMES ECONOMIC RECESSION.

A WA meat processor has become a victim of the global economic downturn, with its Waroona business to close at the end of the week.

South West Meat Processors co-owners Daniel and Joanne Delaney were forced to tell their 42 employees late last week that they had lost their jobs after the business had been crippled by lower-than-expected throughput of livestock and a collapse of the world sheepskin market.

"The hardest part was telling them was because we have got such a good crew," Mr Delaney said. "You would expect when you tell people they are losing their jobs you start seeing an exit of workers straight away but we have had no absentees this week."

Mr Delaney said the business had been geared towards providing a contract kill service, but demand for the service was not as strong as initially indicated by the sheep and pig industry.