Beef packing software for slaughter of beef, bison, sheep, and other large livestock. Full processing, cutting, and packing management, modern solution. Low cost hardware and low annual fees.
USA Beef packing software for slaughter of beef, bison, sheep, and other large livestock. Full Beef packing software for processing, cutting, and packing management, modern solution. Low cost hardware and low annual fees. For USA Beef Packing & Sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Florida.
In the early 1900’s two urban stockyards and processing plants – Omaha and Chicago – dominated the commercial meat market. Back then, the Big Four meat processing plants were Armour, Swift, Cudahy and Wilson. They controlled 40% of the fresh beef trade. Cattle were transported to these feedlots, then processed and sent out to butcher shops around the country, but not the way meat is seen in grocery stores today. Sides of beef were sold to local butcher shops who then sold cuts of meat to customers. The government stepped in in the 1940’s to break up the monopoly of the Big Four and from that intervention a new Big Four was formed. It wasn’t until the 1960’s when most homes had refrigerators and freezers that “boxed beef” in clear packaging was sold in grocery stores, thanks to the innovation of IBP, or Iowa Beef Packers. (Ganzel, 2007) From then on, meat was processed and packaged at packing plants and shipped out fresh or frozen through the newly expanded highway system, allowing boxed beef to be transported by truck as opposed to rail.
According to one 2013 source, 85% of all US beef is still produced by four producers. The Big Four, as they’re still known by, are underregulated and overprotected by the government. After the Big Four was exposed to the public about their strategies that are forcing ranchers to sell the cattle under market value, the lawsuits broke out in an attempt to get these companies split up. Tyson Foods, JBS, Cargill, and National Beef control most of the beef packing market and dictate prices all the way down to the rancher. Due to the control that the Big Four has on the processing and packing of beef in the United States, ranchers are forced to use these companies because there are no other alternatives. After the cattle are sold to one of the companies associated with the Big Four, the prices are heavily increased once the meat is sold in stores. This results in a giant profit margin for the Big Four, while cattle producers barely break even. Ranchers are attempting to hold their cattle back and get them sold locally, but there comes a point when the cattle must be sold in order to still have valuable meat. Local packing plants would not be able to accommodate the mass processing of cattle as well as their current clientele. An online reference states, ” …smaller local custom plants are busier than ever, but are carrying on their business with integrity.” (Stadheim, 2020). Local packing businesses are doing their best to meet the needs of all people, while still keeping their prices fair.
Even though the Big Four seems so far removed from what goes on in Nevada, the effects of this monopoly reach rural Nevada ranchers. To get the inside scoop, I interviewed Mike Hastie, the owner and operator of the Twist Ranch in Big Smoky Valley, Nevada, to ask him just how far the Big Four’s reach goes. Mike states, “The packers have a huge profit margin with little to no risk involved where the rancher or stocker has a very narrow profit margin with the big risk of losses due to death of calves, weather (drought), and high feed or pasture cost. The packers are under scrutiny but nothing has been done to remedy it to this point.” (M.Hastie, March 9,2021, email interview). Commercial and local ranchers are dealing with tight budgets to begin with and then not making money from the sales of their feeder cows due to the control from the packing industry puts them in more of a bind. In theory, when the supply of a resource goes up, the retail value should go down. The packing industry has reversed this and paid less for a resource that is in demand so they can charge more to increase their profit. After the exposure of the corruption that has been occurring, ranchers and stockers are encouraging citizens to buy their beef locally, instead of supporting the Big Four. While this helps in the short-term, legal action will be required to make long-term changes that will positively affect the industry. Mike is hopeful that the current legislation known as the Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021, will hold packing plants more accountable for fair prices and fix the current monopoly in the meatpacking industry. The Cattle Market Transparency Act of 2021 was developed on March 2 of this year by Deb Fischer and Ron Wyden. This bill aims to have the meatpacking industry held accountable for the prices they pay and charge, as well as having mandated requirements through the USDA. Ranchers and commercial producers have come up with this proposal to combat the monopoly that the meatpackers have formed.
In closing, the exposure of the meat packing plant monopoly has developed an uproar in citizens across the country, including myself. For many years, this issue has been buried, and not brought to the attention of the consumer. The Big Four have taken over the United States packing plants, and are in total control. While industry progress and growth over the last 100 years spurred the conception of the current meat packing system in the US, government regulation and controls need to be put in place to prevent the collapse of the US beef producer. Mike and other ranchers are hopeful that this new legislation will be the beginning of change that’s been a long time coming.
USA Beef packing software for slaughter of beef, bison, sheep, and other large livestock. Full Beef packing software for processing, cutting, and packing management, modern solution. Low cost hardware and low annual fees. For USA Beef Packing & Sales in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, Kansas, Montana, Kentucky, North Dakota, and Florida.
We have opened a retail outlet in Gaffney at our beef plant. If you are looking for good quality beef products, you can get them direct from our store. We do not grind hamburger meat, but we do have wonderful whole cuts of meat. Caviness Beef Packers has been family owned and operated for over “55 Years” and is currently led by 2nd and 3rd generation family members. Since 1962, Caviness has remained one of the most relationship oriented companies in the beef industry. The business has grown from harvesting a handful of cattle, in the early days, to 2900 head processed each day. Today, the company operates two processing locations and markets products worldwide. USA Beef is a proud family owned and operated business. We are a BRCGS Certified Facility located in Roswell, NM and giving local ranchers and land stewards a place to humanely process their products. We take great pride in food safety, nutrition, taste and the proper handling of all animals.
We know when it comes to meat, the entire process is important, including how the animals are raised and taken care of when at our facility. We go the extra mile because quality and care are what we stand for at USA BEEF. Our holistic ranch management practices are whole farm planning systems that help farmers, ranchers and land stewards better manage agricultural resources in order to reap sustainable environmental, economic, and social benefits.
While providing our product with great nutritional values, a healthy land then leads to nutritious meat, and healthier lifestyle. We are confident USA BEEF can provide the best service possible to our suppliers and our customers. In 1992, National Beef® opened the door to our first processing plant. Since then, National Beef has created alliances and partnerships, become a preferred employer in the communities we call home, and earned the respect of our business partners as America’s premier beef company.
In just over 25 years, we’ve built an industry-leading team guided by people who are passionate about delivering the highest quality fresh beef, case-ready products and beef by-products to customers in the U.S. and worldwide. As we’ve grown, our passion for the business and commitment to the customer remains just as important as it was in 1992.
Our focus is to continue to provide value-added solutions and programs, including our branded boxed beef and further processed offerings, and ensure our customers have the products and support they need to thrive in their dynamic markets.
The meat packing industry handles the slaughtering, processing, packaging, and distribution of meat from animals such as cattle, pigs, sheep and other livestock. Poultry is generally not included. This greater part of the entire meat industry is primarily focused on producing meat for human consumption, but it also yields a variety of by-products including hides, dried blood, protein meals such as meat & bone meal, and, through the process of rendering, fats (such as tallow). CS Beef Packers, LLC is a progressive beef packer and further processor whose products are marketed through a variety of foodservice and retail channels. Relationships and service are paramount from farm gate to dinner plate!
Being the newest beef processing plant in the nation, CS Beef Packers features the highest quality construction with the latest design and meat processing equipment to ensure the highest food safety and animal care possible. We look forward to growing meaningful relationships with cattle producers, dairy operators and beef customers in the Western U.S.
In the United States and some other countries, the facility where the meat packing is done is called a slaughterhouse, packinghouse or a meat packing plant; in New Zealand, where most of the products are exported, it is called a freezing works.[1] An abattoir is a place where animals are slaughtered for food.