Last night, workers at the JBS slaughterhouse and production facility, located just south of the city of Plainwell, ratified their first union contract.

JBS SA is leasing two Brazilian poultry plants from France's Group Doux to increase its chicken-processing capacity by 15 percent.

JBS's Argentine subsidiary, Swift, has closed five of its six slaughterhouses in Argentina, the last one as recently as February.

Brazil's JBS missed forecasts for its fourth-quarter profit on Wednesday as a weak North American poultry market eroded a boost from surging U.S. beef and pork prices.

JBS SA is cutting Argentine exports to focus on domestic sales after government restrictions prompted a plant closure.

The company posted a net loss of 67.5 million reais ($38.2 million) in the third quarter, compared to a profit of 143.4 million reais in the same period a year ago.