Fire At Agri Star Plant Delays Kiryas Yoel Shechita Operations; Rebbe Cancels Planned Visit

Yisroel R.

A major fire that broke out this morning at the Agri Star meat processing complex in Postville, Iowa, has temporarily halted operations for the Kiryas Yoel Shechita, which operates at the facility. The fire also forced the Rebbe to cancel a planned visit to the plant later this week.

The Agri Star facility is home to one of the country’s largest kosher meat operations and is used by the Kiryas Yoel Shechite to produce kosher beef under the supervision of the Bedatz of Kiryas Yoel. Meat processed at the facility is distributed to kosher communities across the region and beyond.

According to initial reports, the fire broke out in one of the buildings within the Agri Star complex, sending heavy smoke into the air and prompting officials to suspend operations for the time being. The fire was not reported in the building where the shechita itself takes place, but it remains unclear when production will resume.

The Rebbe, who has spent the past several weeks in Bethlehem, New Hampshire, was scheduled to stop at the Postville facility on Thursday while returning to New York. The visit was expected to include an inspection of the Kiryas Yoel Shechita and its operations under his supervision.