REDFIELD, Iowa (DTN) -- Tyson Foods announced on Friday that it will end operations at its Lexington, Nebraska, beef facility and will convert its Amarillo, Texas, beef facility to a single, full-capacity shift. They say production will increase at other beef facilities.

The Lexington facility employs 3,000 people and processes 5,000 head of cattle per day, which is about 4.8% of the daily U.S. beef slaughter. Tyson Foods said in a news release that these network changes were designed to "rightsize its beef business and position it for long-term success."

U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer, R-Neb., released the following statement on Friday in response to Tyson's announcement: "I am extremely disappointed by this news from Tyson today. As the single largest employer in Lexington, 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."

SHUTDOWN DATE NOT ANNOUNCED

Tyson didn't post a shutdown date in its announcement. Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen struck an optimistic tone in his response to the announcement. "Nebraska's cattle industry is resilient and the envy of the world. And our workforce can outwork anybody. Big picture -- our excellent cattlemen and cattle feeders have emerging opportunities and will still have the Tyson market to sell into as its planned reorganization will boost capacity and jobs at other Nebraska plants. Tyson's leadership has also promised to continue to work on future value-added opportunities here in the state. The state of Nebraska is ready to build for the future and do what it can do to support employees affected by this change," Pillen said.

In addition to the Lexington and Amarillo plants, major Tyson beef plants are also located in Dakota City, Nebraska; Holcomb, Kansas; Hillsdale, Illinois; and Pasco, Washington.

Fischer added, "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."

The U.S. beef cow herd is currently at its lowest numbers since the 1950s. The most recent cattle on feed numbers show the inventory down 2% from a year ago, and placements down 10%.

See the latest Cattle on Feed Report here: https://www.dtnpf.com/….

Jennifer Carrico can be reached at jennifer.carrico@dtn.com

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