BLAKELY, Ga. -- Channel 2 learned Thursday nearly all the people who work in the Georgia peanut plant linked to salmonella have lost their jobs.

The Peanut Corporation of America plant is in Blakely in southwest Georgia. All but three of the 46 employees at the Blakely Peanut Corporation of America plant were laid off, plant officials told WSB-TV Channel 2 Thursday.

The plant’s loading dock was shuttered and the parking lot was empty Thursday except for a few employees turning in uniforms and picking up their final paychecks and hugging goodbye.

The news is hitting the small agricultural town hard.

The plant shut down production Jan. 9 after it was linked to the nationwide outbreak of salmonella from peanut products.

The exact source of the outbreak remains unknown. Three remaining managers on duty were putting together records for FDA inspectors Thursday afternoon.

“Peanuts have been the mainstay of our economy. We’re an agricultural economy and peanuts have been a big part of it along with cotton and timber. To have this kind of impact is definitely going to have a very negative effect on our community,” said Blakely Mayor Ric Hall.

---

LINK: Entire Peanut Butter Recall List
Reduce Salmonella Risk
Salmonella Q & A
VIDEO: All But 3 Ga. Peanut Plant Workers Lose Their Jobs

---

Hall said it is the second blow to the area in just days. The Georgia Pacific plant nearby announced it is cutting production and they laid off 100 employees.

“That’s two very devastating setbacks for a community this size,” said Hall.

He said he wonders if the PCA plant is gone for good.

“I don’t own a crystal ball but it would be very difficult to think that plant might not come back up,” said Hall.

The plant operations manager told Channel 2 the FDA inspectors will be back at the plant Friday.