Tyson Foods will close its beef packing plant in Lexington sometime after the first of the new year, the company announced Friday. The plant employs about 3, 000 workers. The Tyson plant is the primary business in Lexington, pop. 11, 300. Tyson also announced that it will drop the second shift at its beef plant in Amarillo, Texas, which will eliminate about 1, 700 jobs there, the Amarillo Globe-News reported. Tyson said production will be increased at other company beef facilities but didn’t say where. The announcement brought widespread dismay. The Nebraska Cattlemen said Friday’s USDA data showed Nebraska cattle-on-feed inventories remain slightly above year-ago levels in spite of the ongoing tightness in overall U. S. cattle numbers. “We firmly believe there isn’t a better place to efficiently and economically raise cattle and produce beef than Nebraska,” the Cattlemen’s group said. “As this will have a profound impact on the community of Lexington and many cattle producers, we hope the plant will continue operations under new ownership.” Sen. Deb Fischer said, “Tyson’s announcement will have a devastating impact on a truly wonderful community, the region, and our state. Nebraskans are nothing if not resilient, and Lexington has a robust workforce. I hope their skill and experience will be sought after by other employers.” Fischer called the decision shortsighted. “Nebraska is the beef state, and we know better than anyone the highs and lows of the cattle market. It’s no secret that just a few years ago, packers like Tyson were making windfall profits while the rest of the industry was continuously in the red,” she said. “As we head into the holiday season, I call on Tyson to do everything in its power to take care of the families affected by this short-sighted decision.” Tyson said the company will support employees “through this transition, including helping them apply for open positions at other facilities and providing relocation benefits.” Tyson’s sales of beef products declined about 2% from a year ago, and its income from beef products dropped more than 5%, according to its most recent report to stockholders. Overall, the company had a 4% profit. Nationally, the number of cattle available for slaughter is near an all-time low. Cattle producers are making profits, but beef processors are losing money, according to reports from the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Gov. Jim Pillen said, “Tyson leadership has also promised to continue to work on future value-added opportunities here in the state.” Tyson said the changes are “ensuring that it will continue to deliver high-quality, affordable, and nutritious protein for generations to come.”.
https://northplattebulletin.com/tyson-announces-closure-of-beef-plant-in-lexington/
Tyson announces closure of beef plant in Lexington
