Congressman Troy Downing, R-Mont., joined ‘Mornings with Maria’ to debate the shutdown’s financial toll, record-high beef costs and the president’s $2,000 aid plan amid rising fears of inflation and rising debt.
Tyson Meals introduced on Friday that it’s going to shut a serious beef plant in Nebraska in January amid a decline in U.S. cattle provides.
The meatpacking large is about to shut a plant in Lexington, Nebraska, with about 3,200 workers. The corporate additionally mentioned it should reduce its operations at a beef plant in Amarillo, Texas, transferring to a single, full-capacity shift in a transfer that may have an effect on about 1,700 employees.
These modifications are anticipated to take impact round Jan. 20, and the corporate mentioned it should enhance manufacturing at its different services to fulfill buyer demand.
“Tyson Meals acknowledges the affect these choices could have on staff members and the communities the place we function. The corporate is dedicated to supporting our staff members by this transition, together with serving to them apply for open positions at different services and offering relocation advantages,” Tyson Meals mentioned in an announcement.
BEEF PRICES HIT RECORD HIGHS AS NATIONWIDE CATTLE INVENTORY DROPS TO LOWEST LEVEL IN 70 YEARS
Tyson Meals is closing its beef plant in Lexington, Nebraska, amid a drop in cattle inventories. (Dan Brouillette/Bloomberg through Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
The corporate added that the modifications will be sure that Tyson Meals can “proceed to ship high-quality, reasonably priced, and nutritious protein for generations to come back.”
The Lexington facility can course of about 5,000 cattle per day, or about 5% of complete U.S. slaughtering, however has already been working under capability, Matt Wiegand, commodity dealer for FuturesOne in Nebraska, mentioned in a Reuters report.
Beef costs have surged this yr as cattle stock declined to the bottom stage in 70 years, which has pushed costs for customers larger.
BEEF PRICES ARE CLOSE TO RECORD HIGHS – BUT AMERICANS AREN’T CUTTING BACK
| Ticker | Safety | Final | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSN | TYSON FOODS INC. | 56.83 | +3.14 | +5.85% |
Cattle ranchers have decreased their herds as a consequence of drought affecting key ranching areas lately, although some have began to slowly rebuild them. It takes no less than two years to lift full-grown cattle.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its September shopper worth index (CPI) that beef and veal costs have been up 14.7% yr over yr. Costs for floor beef have been up 12.9% final yr, whereas the price of beef roasts was up 18.4% and costs for beef steaks rose 16.6% in that interval.
These figures far outpaced total inflation, which was up 3% over the past yr, in addition to meals costs, which rose 3.1% from a yr in the past as of September.
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Cattle inventories have declined to the bottom stage in 70 years as drought impacts key ranching areas. (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle/Getty Photographs / Getty Photographs)
Tyson’s beef enterprise suffered adjusted losses of $426 million within the 12 months that ended on September 27 and $291 million over the previous yr. The meatpacker projected the unit will lose $400 to $600 million within the 2026 fiscal yr.
These losses come regardless of robust demand from customers, who’re wanting previous the worth will increase to purchase beef.
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People spent over $40 billion on contemporary beef in 2024, which made up over half of all fresh-meat gross sales, in keeping with knowledge from Beef Analysis, a contractor to the Nationwide Cattlemen’s Beef Affiliation.
Reuters contributed to this report.

