Tyson Foods to Close Kansas and Pennsylvania Plants
Tyson Foods plans to permanently close a beef and pork plant in Emporia, Kansas, that employs more than 800 people, the company said on Monday. Tyson has also closed six US chicken plants and an Iowa pork plant in the past two years, laying off thousands of workers.
“Tyson faces financial pressure as the nation’s cattle herd has dwindled to its smallest size in decades, raising costs for the animals the company processes into beef. The meatpacker’s chicken business previously suffered after executives misjudged consumer demand, though it has recovered,” Reuters reports.
Tyson will shut its plant in Emporia, a city of about 24,000 residents, around February 14. In addition to the 804 jobs that will be cut in this closure, five employees at a lab will lose their jobs on January 31, the company said in a letter. Reuters reports the closures are part of a strategy to operate more efficiently.
The company encouraged employees to apply for other jobs at Tyson and said it is working with state and local officials to provide them with resources. “We understand the impact of this decision on our team members and the local community,” the statement said.
Tyson’s beef business, its largest unit, reported an adjusted loss of $291 million in its 2024 fiscal year that ended September, compared with an income of $233 million for fiscal year 2023. The company projects the business will also suffer an operating loss in fiscal year 2025, Reuters reports.
Tyson also announced the closure of two more plants in Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry posted a new WARN notice identifying two plants in the northern part of Philadelphia. According to the notice, the shutdown will be effective on January 21, 2025, and will impact 229 workers. In a statement to a local news station, Tyson said the decision was made to improve efficiency.
Cargill to Cut Thousands of Jobs After Profits Shrink
Cargill has announced it will cut thousands of jobs globally after missing profit targets. The Minneapolis-based company is the largest privately held company in the US, and the world’s largest commodities trader.
The company will cut around 5% of its workforce of 164,000 people. The news was broken by Bloomberg, who saw the information in an internal memo. Top-level executives won’t be affected, but the next level of leaders may be impacted.
A combination of strong harvests and record-low cow inventory have shrunk Cargill’s profits. “The majority of these reductions will take place this year,” CEO Brian Sikes said in the memo. “They’ll focus on streamlining our organizational structure by removing layers, expanding the scope and responsibilities of our managers, and reducing duplication of work.”
Cargill’s profits fell to $2.48 billion in the year through the end of May, the lowest in the last decade, Bloomberg Opinion’s Javier Blas reported. “We have laid out a clear plan to evolve and strengthen our portfolio to take advantage of compelling trends in front of us, maximize our competitiveness, and, above all, continue to deliver for our customers,” Cargill said in a statement to Bloomberg.
Cattle and Beef Markets: 2024 in Review
by Derrell S. Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension
Looking back, 2024 was mostly a continuation of the story that has been developing since 2022. Tight supplies of cattle pushed cattle and beef prices higher to new record levels during the year. However, in some ways, 2024 was kind of a pause in the developing dynamics of the industry with more of a sideways move than noticeable progress to change the market situation.
Despite an expected 2024 calf crop down over one percent year-over-year and the sixth consecutive decrease in the total calf crop, feedlots were able to hold average monthly inventories fractionally higher compared to the year before. Total feedlot marketings in the past 12 months were down just 0.3% from the previous 12 months. Total feedlot placements were down 1.7% in the past year compared to the previous 12 months. Feedlots were able to hold inventories steady mostly due to continued heifer feeding in 2024. As of October 1, heifers still represented 39.7% of feedlot inventories, near the upper end of historical levels and well above levels that would indicate heifer retention. Additionally, feedlots held inventory levels by extending days on feed and slowing down the turnover rate in feedlots. Kansas feedlot data shows that days on feed for steers increased by 3.2% in the first ten months of 2024, adding six days to average on-feed time over the same period a year earlier.
Although final data for the year are still coming, it appears that total beef production in 2024 was down just 0.6% year-overyear. This is significantly less than earlier expectations of an over four percent year-over-year decrease. In fact, fed beef production was up 2.2% due to larger than expected steer and heifer slaughter and a sharp increase in carcass weights in 2024. Steer slaughter was up 0.2% year-over-year, while heifer slaughter was down 1.1 compared to the previous year. Average steer carcass weights jumped 22 pounds year-over-year with heifer carcasses averaging 18 pounds heavier. Although fed beef production was higher year-over-year, Choice boxed beef prices averaged 2.8% higher year-over-year on strong prices for end meats from the chuck and round.
Without a doubt, the biggest change in 2024 was in non-fed beef production, down 13.2% year-over-year due to sharp reductions in cow slaughter. Beef cow slaughter was down 19% year-over-year and dairy cow slaughter was down 12.2% from the previous year. Reduced supplies of processing beef led to record wholesale trimmings prices, increased demand for imported beef, strong lean demand for end meats, and record cull cow prices. .
Mark Your Calendars for 2024–2025 Major PTP Open Shows
Mark Your Calendars for 2024–2025 Major PTP Open Shows
Visit event websites for show schedules.
American Royal
October 2024
www.americanroyal.com
North American International Livestock Exposition
November 2024 www.livestockexpo.org
Cattlemen’s Congress
January 2025
www.cattlemenscongress.com
National Western Stock Show
January 2025
www.nationalwestern.com
This is the National SimGenetics Show for 2024-2025
Fort Worth Stock Show
January 2025 www.fwssr.com
Dixie National Livestock Show
February 2025
www.dixienational.org
The American Simmental Association is proud to sanction high-quality Purebred Simmental, Fullblood Simmental, Percentage Simmental, and Simbrah Progress Through Performance (PTP) shows throughout the country. The PTP program is designed to promote multi-level progress within the SimGenetics industry. PTP shows effectively combine the assessment of statistical data, such as EPD and actual measurements, with traditional phenotype evaluation.
PTP Judges
PTP approved judges have been deemed as respectable and knowledgeable cattle evaluators by the ASA Board of Trustees Activities & Events (A&E) Committee. View the PTP approved judges list at: www.simmental.org.
Following along with PTP Shows? Complete results on Facebook @ptpringofchamps.
Only the Major PTP Shows involved in the National Show rotation are eligible for ASA PTP RING OF CHAMPIONS 2024–2025.
Shows include: 2024American Royal
2024 North American International Livestock Exposition
2025 Cattlemen’s Congress
2025 National Western Stock Show
2025 Fort Worth Stock Show
2025 Dixie National Livestock Show
Award Divisions
-Simbrah Female and Bull of the Year
-Percentage Simbrah Female and Bull of the Year
-Fullblood Simmental Female and Bull of the Year
If fewer than four animals earn points at multiple events, no winners will be recognized. If fewer than three shows recognize a breed division, that division will be excluded.
Qualifications
-Exhibitors must be active members in good standing with the American Simmental Association
-Animals and their exhibitors must abide by the rules of the show(s) in which they participate
-All ASA Ring of Champions award winners must at a minimum complete an ultra-low density DNA test before awards are given
Additional information
PTP Coordinator
Chance Ujazdowski
920-740-7536
