Aug 26
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays speaks with Don Close of Terrain about shifting beef packing capacity and what recent plant announcements could mean for cattle producers. Cargill’s Return Could Offset Tyson’s Cuts Close says the return of Cargill’s Fort Morgan, Colorado, facility could eventually add significant slaughter capacity to …
Aug 19
In today’s Beef Buzz, senior farm and ranch broadcaster Ron Hays features comments with Oklahoma State University’s livestock market economist Dr. Derrell Peel about the latest changes in the beef packing industry and what they could mean for cattle markets. Peel says Tyson Foods’ decision to close its Joslin, Illinois, beef plant is the latest in a series of …
Aug 14
Tyson Foods has announced the immediate closure of its beef processing plant in Joslin, Illinois, and its case-ready facility in Eagle Mountain, Utah, marking another major contraction in U.S. beef packing capacity as the livestock sector grapples with historic cattle shortages. The abrupt announcement comes just months after Tyson permanently shuttered a large beef processing …
Aug 13
Tyson Foods is making strategic changes to its beef operations to position the company for long-term success. Tyson Foods will anchor its beef business around three strategically located beef facilities in the central United States: Dakota City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas and Amarillo, Texas, to create a more competitive footprint amidst one of the most historic …
Feb 12
Oklahoma Farm Bureau President Stacy Simunek issued the following statement after Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced a settlement between the State of Oklahoma, Tyson and Cargill in the decades-long State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc., et al., lawsuit regarding the application of chicken litter in the Illinois River Watershed. “Oklahoma Farm Bureau members …
Jan 21
Oklahoma AG Gentner Drummond Seeks ‘Finality’ in Poultry Lawsuit, Reassures Cattle Producers of Industry Stability: In a direct address to the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association (OCA) on Wednesday, Attorney General Gentner Drummond sought to quell fears regarding the ongoing poultry litter litigation in Eastern Oklahoma, outlining a path toward settlement that he says will protect both …
Jan 16
Amid a recent federal ruling on Oklahoma’s 20-plus-year lawsuit over poultry litter pollution of the Illinois River Watershed, Attorney General Gentner Drummond met today with a large group of poultry producers for a candid conversation about the case. The gathering coordinated by state Rep. David Hardin was held in Westville’s Baron Community Center. “I very …
Dec 20
In a landmark ruling issued Friday, December 19, 2025, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell entered a judgment against several major poultry integrators, finding them liable for pollution in the Illinois River Watershed (IRW) and ordering a comprehensive, decades-long remediation plan. The judgment brings a pivotal conclusion to State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc. et …
Dec 12
After a visit to eastern Oklahoma Thursday to meet with individuals involved in the poultry industry and other local stakeholders, Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton, R-Tuttle, is calling on those involved in the State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods case to return to the negotiating table and work toward a resolution. The lawsuit accused several …
Dec 02
More than a hundred poultry farmers from Arkansas and Oklahoma, as well as state legislators from both states, met Monday morning in Fayetteville at the Washington County Farm Bureau offices to discuss the recent decision by Tyson Foods to end contracts for poultry growers who live in the Illinois River watershed. Dan Wright, President of …
