Page 3 - MWC 04-01-2021s

The Midwest Cattleman · April 1, 2021 · P3

April 1, 2021 Volume 27 No. 4

MISSOURI PACKING PLANTS ANSWER BEEF PROCESSING PLANT TO BE BUILT IN
PROCESSING GAP NORTH PLATTE

Contributing Writers Austin Black and Brenda Black During the summer of 2019,
Within a few the beef industry experienced
short months of significant disruption when
the pandemic the beef plant in Holcomb,
shutdown, pro- Kansas had a major fire. Then,
cessing bottle- during the spring of 2020, the
necks quickly beef industry again experi-
magnified the enced significant disruption
need for more due to the COVID-19 Pandem-
local meat pack- ic. These events have shown ties, have formed Sustainable
ing plants in the a bright light on the need for Beef, LLC and seek to build a
Heartland. Inside more capacity in the beef pack- small regional plant in North
the borders of Mis- ing industry. Platte, Nebraska, to help the
souri, new plant A group of cattlemen and
development ceased until headed to the Kansas City investors, with deep Nebraska continued on page 16
government funding became Stockyards. Five generations NATIONAL BEEF TO DOUBLE CAPACITY AT
later, the family has sprawled
available to reignite growth.
Now facilities are being con- into five surrounding coun- IOWA PLANT
ties, and is involved in every
structed, upgraded and ex- To accommodate growing Packing Co. LLC announced
panded to accommodate the link of the beef cattle produc- demand for fed cattle sup- on March 17, plans to in-
tion chain from cow-calf to
growing need and create fur- plies in Iowa, National Beef crease capacity at its Iowa
ther opportunities for beef backgrounding, feed yards to Premium beef pro-
auction barns. They've now
producers to access services cessing plant in Tama,
and explore specialized mar- added the final link between Iowa. With an invest-
cattleman and consumer.
kets. Many of the new plants ment of more than
“Livestock runs in my
are pursuing USDA certifica- veins,” said Todd Hertzog, $100 million, daily ca-
tion, allowing customers to pacity at the plant is
sell retail cuts across state plant manager of the new expected to double to
facility. “My great uncle ran
lines. It’s a lengthy and costly 2,500 head, requiring
process, but proving worth- R.B. Rice Sausage. So, this the addition of a sec-
industry is in our DNA.”
while to provide maximum continued on page 18
Todd's father Jim Hertzog
marketing opportunity. and his brother Brian part- JAPAN TO RAISE TARIFFS ON U.S. BEEF
Beef in Bates County ner in the venture. Brian and By Greg Henderson
In west central Missou- his wife Katie will continue Japan will increase tariffs
ri, Hertzog Meat Company to run the day to day oper- on U.S. beef temporarily in
plans to open its USDA in- ations at the family feedlot an effort to slow import vol-
spected plant in May 2021. and order buying business, umes. Currently set at 25.8%,
The Hertzog family heritage as Jim stays at the helm of the tariff will rise to 38.5%,
in the beef industry dates MoKan Livestock Auction. and will be in effect for one
back 125 years to a Jackson Like many plants, the month, according to USDA’s
County cattle rancher named Hertzog Meat Company was Foreign Agricultural Service imports reach 242,000 metric
Jacob. He commandeered a an existing vision jumpstart- (FAS). tons for the fiscal year. Japan
horse-drawn wagon driving ed by the pandemic. “We’ve As part of a 2019 trade Customs reported imports of
cattle into downtown Lee's always wanted to promote pact with the U.S., Japan is US beef from April 1, 2020,
Summit to load onto rail cars our product to individual allowed to raise tariffs if beef
consumers and continued on page 18
there was not an
avenue to do that,” Coming Sales-30
said Hertzog. Life is Simple-5
The new plant
will provide them Market Report-8
and dozens of local Agribusiness
producers the Directory-28
ability to market
continued on page 10