Beef Prices to Soar As Major Meat Packager Announces 2 Plant Closures Today, The 6th and 7th This Spring.
JBS Meat Packaging Plant Closure Just Announced
Layoffs - 1500 Pennsylvania / Undisclosed Memphis
Tyson Foods – Lexington, NE (Beef processing plant): Permanently closed around January 20, 2026. Capacity: ~5,000 head/day. Impact: ~3,200–3,212 layoffs. This was one of the largest plants; part of broader beef division losses ($291M prior year, projected $400 - $600M losses in FY2026). Significant blow to a town of ~10,000.
• Tyson Foods – Amarillo, TX: Reduced to a single full-capacity shift (announced late 2025, effective early 2026). Impact: ~1,700–1,761 layoffs.
• Tyson Foods – Rome, GA (Processed foods facility): Closure announced, effective May 31, 2026. Impact: 168 layoffs.
• Cargill – Milwaukee, WI (Ground beef processing): Permanent closure; production winding down April 2026, full close by ~May 31, 2026. Impact: 221 layoffs. Operations shifting to other facilities (e.g., Butler, WI).
• Intermountain Packing / American Farmers Network – Idaho Falls, ID: Sudden closure on April 3, 2026 (beef and bison processing). Impact: ~150 layoffs, with limited advance notice.
• JBS USA: Announced June 12, 2026, permanent closures of:
• Beef processing facility in Souderton, PA (near Philadelphia).
• Value-added processing plant in Memphis, TN. (Exact job impacts not fully detailed in initial reports, but adds to ongoing sector pressure.)