Blue Sky board reviewing options

Blue Sky Meat's property in Gore. Photo / Simon Knyvett.

A decision on whether Blue Sky Meats' Gore plant will reopen this year will not be made until it is clear the beef processing plant can make a significant profit.

A board meeting was held yesterday to review several operating options at the plant.

Blue Sky Meats chief executive Todd Grave denied the meeting was anything more than standard, saying the board was always reviewing its options.

The Ensign reported the processing plant came "to a halt" late last year because of low financial margins.

Mr Grave said whether the plant would reopen any time soon was not discussed.

"There's no point in doing it this month because there's no window to open."

The board was evaluating the financial situation every month to determine whether the plant could reopen.

As the market stood at present, the plant would not be able to make a "significant amount" of profit.

The plant would reopen when the board was confident it could make profit from the processing, Mr Grave said.

"If the supply and demand dynamics move then we'll take advantage of it."

Salary and process workers at the Gore plant had been offered secondment to Blue Sky Meats' Morton Mains plant near Invercargill, where there was "gainful employment" for them.

The next communication to the market would be at the end of August, when the company's annual  meeting was held.