Overview
- Tyson announced on Thursday that it will end operations at its Joslin, Illinois plant and its Eagle Mountain, Utah case-ready facility and will pursue the sale of its Pasco, Washington beef plant.
- The company said it will concentrate U.S. beef processing at Dakota City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas; and Amarillo, Texas, and plans to restore a second shift at Amarillo as cattle supplies allow.
- Tyson has widened its fiscal 2026 beef operating loss guidance to roughly $500 million to $650 million, citing elevated cattle costs that have outpaced gains from retail beef prices.
- The closures immediately affect thousands of workers, with local officials saying about 2,500 jobs will be lost at Joslin, and analysts estimate Tyson has cut roughly half of its slaughter capacity since last year’s Lexington shutdown.
- Suppliers and analysts say the moves reflect a U.S. herd at a roughly 75-year low and disrupted Mexican imports, meaning any supply relief from reopened cross‑border trade will take months and could reshape regional cattle markets.