Alliance Group is proposing to close its Smithfield meatworks in Timaru - affecting hundreds of jobs

If confirmed, processing of sheep meat, calves and night shift venison will finish after this season, and remaining venison at the end of year, at the latest.

Alliance chief executive Willie Wiese says up to 600 staff are affected by the proposal.

He says, where possible, staff will be offered re-deployment to other sites, but they expect a significant number of redundancies.

The group reported a before tax loss of 97.9 million dollars for the year to last September.