With U.S. cattle supply at its lowest point since the 1950s, we're likely to see more headlines like this

 

$31,620 a year to work a dirty, dangerous job.

Headline:  Drovers, 6/12/2026

Angie Stump Denton reports:

Derrell Peel, Oklahoma State University Extension livestock marketing specialist, says, the JBS announcement is the next industry casualty. 

“Not really a surprise given the continuing industry losses,” he summarizes. “I don’t expect much general market impact.” 

He says the closure does not change the overall industry balance or eliminate the excess capacity given cattle numbers. 

“However, the regional impacts could be more serious,” he stresses. “The northeast is a unique, somewhat isolated regional market. It’s not clear what the future plans are — is the plant permanently gone or just mothballed for the present. Continued losses in total capacity mean that the likelihood of hitting a capacity constraint at some point in the future — possibly next decade — is increasing.”

Related post:

Chicken wrestles beef for supremacy in the meat snack category.  (6/15/2026)