Global commodities trader Cargill began laying off employees across its vast operations on Tuesday in a drive to slash headcount by 5%, sending U.S. workers from supply chain, inventory control and other roles to look for new jobs.

"Cargill could shed around 8,000 jobs under 5% global workforce reductions" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand.

Cargill Inc. is cutting thousands of jobs globally after the largest privately held company in the US missed profit targets.

Global trading house Cargill said on Tuesday it plans to cut around 5% of its staff, or about 8,000 jobs after revenue slumped in its most recent fiscal year as crop prices hit multi-year lows. Agricultural merchants including privately held Cargill are under pressure as prices of the commodity crops they trade,

Cargill has facilities in East St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, plus in Kansas City and along the Mississippi River in Florence and Meredosia, Illinois, about 100 miles north of St.

The company, which operates in Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec and Ontario, plans to cut five per cent of its global workforce.

Cargill, the largest private company in the United States, is set to lay off thousands of employees. The food producer's issues are attributed to falling product prices. Consequently, up to 8,000 people will be made redundant.