Page 3 - MWC 10-6-2022s

The Midwest Cattleman · October 6, 2022 · P3

October 6, 2022 Volume 28 No. 9

AFG BREAKS GROUND ON MISSOURI BEEF PLANT BILLION DOLLAR BEEF PLANT SEARCHES FOR HOME
By Greg Henderson By Greg Henderson
The project is Western Lega-
expected to gen- cy Development
erate $1 billion Corp. continues to
in annual eco- search for a site to
nomic impact in build its $1.1 bil-
Missouri as the lion beef process-
775,000 square- ing facility after
feet plant will being rejected by
include a har- two cities in the
vest floor, carcass northern plains.
American Foods Group groundbreaking in Warren chillers, fabrica- Meatingplace
County, Missouri. (AFC) tion area, ren- reports that both
American Foods Group, dering, further Rapid City, S.D.
LLC (AFG) broke ground processing, storage coolers, and Cheyenne, Megan R. Kingsbury, president, and CEO of Western
Development, confirmed “that her company is the unnamed
on its $800 million state-of- freezers and loading docks. WY, are no longer developer looking for a site in conversations with Cheyenne,
the-art beef harvest facility "Today marks the start of considered in the and said Wyoming is but one of several states that the project
in Warren County, MO. AFG our future in Warren Coun- running for the has approached.” USDA
says the plant will process ty, Missouri, the addition of plant. When West-
2,400 head of cattle per day industry-needed hook space ern Legacy first announced She declined to name other
once fully operational by the and fulfilling the needs of its intentions to build the locations under consider-
end of 2024. our customers, partners, and 8,000-head per day plant, ation, however.
"As a third-generation consumers for beef demand," Rapid City was the proposed The plant "still is on track
farmer and cattleman my- said Steve Van Lannen, Pres- site. But the city’s industri- to break ground in 2023," she
self, I am proud to welcome ident and COO of American al center developer said the said, and begin operations by
AFG to Missouri,” said Gov- Foods Group. proposed space was not large 2026. And that plant is just
ernor Mike Parson. “This is a American Foods Group enough to accommodate a the first of several, accord-
major development that will is a family-owned, U.S. beef plant that large. ing to Western Legacy's lon-
benefit Missouri's agricultur- processing company based in Then rumors began that ger-term plans in the meat
al producers and consumers Green Bay, WI, with locations Cheyenne might be the next industry, she said.
for years to come. We couldn't throughout the Midwest. choice for the plant, but that "There are a lot of consid-
be more excited for AFG's ex- Drovers city’s mayor said it could not erations, especially from the
pansion in Missouri." meet the water demand of a point of view of a green de-
meat plant that size. velopment," Kingsbury said.
reported
Meatingplace
HEIFER AND COW SLAUGHTER Megan R. Kingsbury, presi- "We have to negotiate with
By Josh Maples, Assistant Professor & Extension Economist, Department of dent and CEO of Western De- municipalities, and they
Agricultural Economics, Mississippi State University velopment, confirmed “that move on their own timeline.
Increased cull cow her company is the unnamed In some cases, they are wait-
slaughter and number of developer looking for a site ing on federal funding to be
heifers in the feedlot mix in conversations with Chey- able to work to scale with us."
have been key factors to enne, and said Wyoming is Drovers
watch in 2022. Each have but one of several states that
implications for beef pro- the project has approached.”
duction and cattle sup-
plies both this year and
moving forward.
Beef cow slaughter has
been stronger through- Coming Sales-46
out 2022. During August, Life is Simple-5
beef cow slaughter was Regionally, cow slaughter in Market Report-8
up about 9 percent above a the Southern Plains is much
year ago which is about 24,000 higher than in 2021 where Agribusiness
head higher while dairy cow drought has been a major fac- Directory-44
slaughter was estimated to be tor. Region 6 consists of Arkan-
down 1,600 head. Year to date, sas, Louisiana, New Mexico,
beef cow slaughter is about 13 Oklahoma, and Texas and beef
percent above 2021. continued on page 10