Cargill Announces Lockney, Texas Cattle Feedlot Closure

Oct 23, 2013

By Amanda Brodhagen, Farms.com

Cargill Inc. said that it will close its Lockney, Texas, cattle feedlot operation in summer 2014 due to tight cattle supplies and high feed costs.

Recently, Cargill announced the closure of its Plainview, Texas beef processing plant in February highlighting concerns of shrinking cattle supplies and increasing input costs such as feed. The Lockney feedlot has a capacity of 62,000 head and runs through 120,000 cattle annually. Cargill has two other feedlots in Texas located in Dalhart and Bovina.

No other plans to close additional Cargill beef facilities in Texas are planned. Persistent drought has shrunk the U.S. cattle supply to its smallest in 61 years. The feedlot has 45 employees and Cargill said they will be provided with the opportunity to relocate to fill other positions in the region. The exact date of the feedlot closure is to be determined.

Video: What Does 20 MILLION Hogs a Year Look Like?

?? The Multi-Plant System Processing 20 Million Hogs Annually in the Midwest JBS USA operates multiple large-scale pork processing facilities across the Midwest, including major plants in Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana. Combined, these facilities have the capacity to process approximately 20 million hogs annually.

Each plant operates high-speed automated slaughter systems capable of processing up to 20,000 head per day, followed by fabrication lines that break carcasses into primals, sub-primals, and case-ready retail products.

Hog procurement is coordinated through electronic marketing platforms that connect regional contract finishing operations and independent producers to plant demand schedules. This digital procurement system allows for steady supply flow and scheduling efficiency across multiple facilities.

Processing plants incorporate comprehensive food safety systems, including pathogen intervention technologies, rapid chilling processes, and integrated cold-chain management. USDA inspection is embedded throughout the harvest and fabrication stages to ensure regulatory compliance and product integrity. Finished pork products — from bulk primals to retail-ready packaged cuts — are distributed through coordinated logistics networks serving domestic and export markets.