SMITHFIELD, VA. — Smithfield Foods Inc. confirmed on July 1 plans to close its Altoona, Iowa, ham boning facility and consolidate production volume at other locations.

The plant employs more than 300 workers.

The production at the Altoona facility will be consolidated into existing facilities run by Smithfield in Monmouth, Ill.; Sioux Falls, SD; and Crete, Neb.

The company employs almost 4,000 people in Iowa at its farms and its meat-processing facilities in Carroll, Denison, Des Moines, Mason City, Orange City, Sioux Center and Sioux City.