Australia's largest meat processor JBS Foods operations have been paralysed over the weekend by a major cyberattack. Due to the incident JBS’ abattoirs across Australia, the United States, and Canada have been shut down, the Queensland meat industry union secretary has told ABC Radio Brisbane.

Local media reported that the cyber attack impacted JBS’ information system, and phone and computer systems were down when workers arrived on Monday. Furthermore, agents, feedlots and transport operators across Australia have also been asked to hang onto livestock that were destined for JBS indefinitely.

The company is working to restore its operations, and currently it’s unclear how long its plants might be down.

JBS Foods has 47 facilities across Australia, operating the largest network of production facilities and feedlots in the country.

Australian Meat Industry Employees’ Union Queensland Secretary Matt Journeaux said that every step of processing was down.

"Cattle get entered into systems to be processed," he said.

"When those cuts are in a box computers print tickets with barcodes for those cuts, and I think all of those systems have been affected by this."

He has also told the media that JBS was able to get its payroll back up and running, so pays would be processed.

However, the main concern is that thousands of union members would go without pay as they are hired on a daily basis and only paid when they work, Journeaux said.

Federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said the government was aware of the cyberattack and was working to get JBS meatworks nationally back online. At the time of writing, no details have been shared on the nature of the cyberattack, or who may have been behind it.