Tyson’s plant closing sent shockwaves
The big news in the cattle industry is the closing of the Tyson processing plant in Joslin, Illinois.
This closing will leave 2,700 people without jobs on a single day notice. They will receive pay for two months. This plant opened in 1983 under the ownership of Iowa Beef Producers. Even though Tyson claimed that plant would lose $365 million this year you might consider the annual gross profit for 2025 was $3.562 billion for the entire company.
Yes, fortunately for cattle producers, cattle have been a very good price for the past two to three years. One thing that caused cattle to get high was a huge drought starting in 2011 covering many states. In July 2011, at Woodward Livestock Auction, Woodward, Oklahoma, we sold 5,632 cows bulls and calves at one sale.
We would often at that time sell 1,000 cows, bulls and calves each week. And we had a huge calf and feeder sale. Fortunately by the next spring it started raining and rained enough to change our situation for the better.
With Tyson closing that plant the cattle numbers are lower now, but more than likely that facility being 43 years old needed a lot of update and more than likely not as efficient as it needed to be.
We have been extremely dry not only in our area, but over a large area. However, on Monday some of our area received some nice rain I received 2 1/2 inches on one field and 10 miles south received less than a tenth. But whatever, I’m very thankful for any we can get. If you receive any be sure and tell God thank you.
Monday morning cattle futures were making a little rebound up in price after Friday falling south with the Tyson news.
A friend of mine and his wife have been married 30 years. He said, “She often can’t remember where she left her phone, but she remembers what I said five years ago on Friday at 6:33 PM.”
This man asked me for a dollar. I told him I only carry big bills. He said, “Give me one of them.” So, I gave him my electric bill.
My wife hasn’t spoken to me for the last four days and I have no clue what I did. This is a shame because I’d like to do it again.
Editor’s note: The views expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the view of High Plains Journal. Jerry Nine, Woodward, Oklahoma, is a lifetime cattleman and grew up on his family’s ranch near Slapout, Oklahoma.
