Update: Lawmakers Talk About Possible Pilgrim's Pride Closures

The Farmerville Pilgrim's Pride location employs more than 14 hundred people and another more than 250 chicken growers. Together they process 7 million pounds of chicken a week. Then there's Pilgrim's El Dorado operation. Employees at both plants are fearful the end is near. Even with the help of Louisiana State lawmakers.

"I'll be honest. We're a little frustrated,” said Louisiana State Senator Mike Walsworth. “There has been unlike other announcements like we've been involved in, there hasn't been anything forthcoming that says we need this or that.”

Or anything else that would keep the plants opened. "What we're facing tomorrow, what's highly likely to happen is going to be devastating in Union Parish and very serious to the rest of the area,” said State Representative, Hollis Downs. “We hope and pray that may not be the case, but every indication is that it will be bad." That's after confirmation of a conversation between Governor Bobby Jindal and Pilgrim's Pride's new CEO.

But, Hollis says there's some hope for the future. "There are some really exciting things going on in the timber industry now and because of what we call bio-fuel, bio mass, and wood pellets for renewable energy," continued Hollis. The Representative also says there are future opportunities for those who may find themselves without jobs.

But in the meantime, he says, there will be downtime and some pain and doesn’t want to underestimate that at all.