Plans for a major expansion project at a beef processing plant located in Tama County have been put on hold indefinitely due to high construction costs.

Iowa Premium had announced plans to replace its current beef processing facility in Tama with a bigger plant in 2021.

In a filing with the state, the company announced that it planned to hire 400 additional workers by the end  of 2024, bringing its total workforce to  more than 1,200.

Company officials announced Thursday that the current facility will continue to function at normal capacity where nearly 800 people are presently employed.

The company plans to further review the status of the expansion at a later time.