© 2024 WXPR
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Unhappy with prices, ranchers look to build own meat plants

Pixabay.com 272447

Frustrated with persistently low prices, ranchers and others in the beef industry are moving to reverse a long trend of consolidation and planning to open new slaughterhouses.

The new plants typically cost more than $300 million, but they still will be much smaller than those owned by the four meat company giants that slaughter over 80% of the nation’s cattle.

That has led to some skepticism about whether the new independent plants can succeed.

David Briggs is the CEO of a proposed plant in western Iowa. He acknowledges the tough odds but says cattle people are risk takers.

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Up North Updates
* indicates required
Related Content