Processing capacity affects workers, ranchers, and the beef case.
Tyson Foods recently announced it will close beef facilities in Illinois and Utah and pursue the sale of a facility in Washington.
The immediate story is corporate restructuring. The larger story is processing capacity. Cattle must move through inspected facilities before they become retail cuts, ground beef, or boxed freezer orders.
When fewer large plants handle more of the country’s beef, changes at those facilities can affect workers, ranchers, local communities, and the choices consumers see at the counter.
